Entertainment

‘Idol’ band sues ‘Idol’

The musicians in the “American Idol” band are suing the show, according to reports

The band is angry that the producers of the hit series have been selling downloads and ringtones of songs from the show — without paying them, according to a lawsuit filed late Friday in LA.

The suit is seeking $500,000 in damages from the show’s producers, according to an Internet report posted over the weekend.

The show has been selling downloads of performances by contestants since Season 4, the suit says.

Later some of the songs were turned into ringtones for cell phones and sold separately.

The downloads are big sellers and often top the Billboard charts in the weeks they come out.

The suit, filed by the American Federation of Musicians on behalf of the band’s members, claims they are not being paid in line with their contract.

Officials from the show were not available yesterday to comment on the suit’s allegations.

The band’s leader, Ricky Minor, left the show last month after nine seasons to take over the top music job for Jay Leno and “The Tonight Show.”

A replacement has yet to be named.