Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedI've Gotta Be Me
Broadway1960s131BPM
A♯ majKey
More around 130 BPM → · More in A♯ major →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
A confirmed songwriter (Walter Marks) and a confirmed current administrator (Warner Chappell + BMG Rights Management) — a clean, extensively-covered Broadway standard made famous by Sammy Davis Jr.; The Winstons’ 1969 version is one of many recordings, not the song’s origin.
Used by independents?
Unconfirmed — the page doesn't yet document enough sampler detail to tell.
Who you need to ask
The current administrator — Warner Chappell Music, Inc. & BMG Rights Management — directly confirmed
Jilldennison → · checked Jul 2026
The songwriter — Walter Marks
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — extensively covered (Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, The Temptations) and licensed (Diet Coke 2009, Dr Pepper 2012). The Winstons’ 1969 version is one of many.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found, but a directly confirmed administrator (Warner Chappell + BMG) — an actionable clearance path.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The Winstons covered this on their 1969 album “Color Him Father”
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Walter Marks
The current administratorWarner Chappell Music, Inc. & BMG Rights Management
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
An extraordinary cultural evolution
Per Walter Marks, the song evolved from a simple power ballad into a “Black Power anthem” via Sammy Davis Jr.’s recording, then a “Me Generation” anthem in the 1970s, and later part of the LGBTQ+ community’s fight during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
waltermarks.com · read it →
Why Sammy Davis Jr. recorded it
Steve Lawrence, who introduced it on Broadway, encouraged friend Sammy Davis Jr. to record it too — reportedly feeling the lyric would carry a bigger statement coming from a Black man in that era’s society than from himself.
SammyDavisJr.info · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
Sammy Davis Jr. · Ella Fitzgerald · Michael Jackson · The Temptations · many more
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
WM
Warner Chappell + BMG Rights Management
The directly-confirmed current administrators
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
Find a similar sound that's 100% freeBrowse the catalog →
References
Every source cited on this page — 4 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass