Weatherly has been writing songs for almost 50 years, and was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014. His best-known song is "Midnight Train to Georgia", recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Ray Price has recorded 38 of Weatherly's songs. Bob Luman had a top five record with "Neither One of Us". Other artists who have recorded Weatherly's songs include: Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Asha Puthli, Neil Diamond, Kenny Chesney and Garth Brooks. Gladys Knight and the Pips have recorded twelve other Weatherly compositions, such as "Neither One of Us " and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me". That version of "Neither One of Us" became his first number one pop record in Cashbox and Record World magazine charts, and became a number one R&B record. It was followed by "Where Peaceful Waters Flow"," Midnight Train to Georgia" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me", which were all pop and R&B hits. Weatherly's catalog includes songs that have been performed by Ray Price, Lynn Anderson, Brenda Lee, Bob Luman, and Batdorf & Rodney.
Recording career
Weatherly, who had previously appeared on recordings by his band, The Gordian Knot, released by Verve Records and also later by RCA Records, was offered a solorecording contract with Buddah Records after the success of "Georgia", and he released a number of albums in the 1970s. As an artist, Weatherly had a pop and A/C hit with "The Need to Be" and a country hit with "I'll Still Love You".
TV and Movies
Weatherly's songs have been used in movies and TV shows such as Broadcast News, Modern Family, Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, and others.
Weatherly filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Publishing Group in October 2002, which is now considered a landmark case in the entertainment community. He claimed that he was underpaid royalties for "Midnight Train to Georgia" for years. Universal Music argued that Weatherly could not proceed on his action because the one-year contractual limitations frequently found in entertainment contracts, had passed or tolled. This became the issue that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided, in a published decision which set new legal precedent. Most contracts allow an artist to look back for a maximum of one, two or three years retroactively. However, the court decided Weatherly vs. Universal Music Publishing Group that this one-year time limitation would not apply. "A defendant cannot hinder the plaintiff's discovery through misrepresentation and then fault the plaintiff for failing to investigate", the court wrote, referring to a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision. Because the landmark decision was published by that court, other artists could cite this decision to support independent claims that they had also been underpaid royalties.
