QUEENSRYCHE NAME DISPUTE SETTLED; JACKSON, ROCKENFIELD AND WILTON RETAIN THE RIGHTS TO THE BAND’S MONIKER
The Seattle Times reports:
Queensryche members Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate have released the following joint statement:
“We wanted to let Queensryche fans around the world know that an amicable settlement has been reached between Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate with regard to the future of the Queensryche name. According to the agreement, original members Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Michael Wilton along with recent members, Todd La Torre and Parker Lundgren, will now be the sole entity recording and touring as Queensryche, performing selections from their entire musical catalog that spans over 30 years of material. Original lead singer Geoff Tate will continue to record, perform and pursue a variety of other creative endeavors and, as part of the agreement, will have the exclusive rights to perform Operation: Mindcrime I and II in their entirety as a unique performance. Both sides wish each other well and are excited about what the future holds. We want to thank the fans for standing beside us through this ordeal and look forward to sharing our music with you for years to come.”
The Queensryche corporate assets will be evenly divided among Wilton, Jackson, Rockenfield and Tate.
Tate will do a brief Queensryche “farewell” tour this summer before launching a new chapter his career.
Both sides say they are relieved to settle the dispute and look forward to moving on.
“It’s the rebirth of Queensryche and the way it used to be,” Wilton said by phone last night. “We’re rebuilding the Queensryche name.”
Tate is especially pleased that the case was settled outside of a courtroom.
“One thing that’s really important for people to understand is that this never went to court,” he said by phone after returning from a show in Louisiana.
“They (Wilton, Jackson and Rockenfield) bought the name from me. But I retain ‘Operation Mindcrime.’ It’s sort of similar to the Pink Floyd situation where Roger Waters retained ‘The Wall.’ ‘Mindcrime’ was my thing and my story, so it’s appropriate that I keep that. So they will continue on as Queensryche, and I will continue on as me.”
With the lawsuit resolved, Tate is now free to reinvent himself.
source: seattletimes.com
I lost all respect for Tate when I saw him spitting on the drummer during a show.
Later I read he was spitting on other members and punched one in the face.
Operation Mindcrime is a great album, I’ll listen to it at home sometime.
Hey Pete lytel, seriously check out the new Ryche album. U will not be disappointed. And u have to go to M3 if u can next year. It was such a blast and it was so great to see so many fans of this great music just havin the time of their life. It was also great to see the bands reaction to the turn out. This style of music is not dead. Many of these bands are putting out new music, night ranger, tesla, winger, Stryper, Queensryche …just to name a few. I will always support these bands. Maybe I’m loyal to a fault but I will not stop buyin till they stop playin…..
No surprise this turned out the way the it did. Makes sense, albeit it won’t help sell more albums. They were so awesome during their Operation and Empire era. I ‘m sure Geoff is livid.
Hey Jack, correction, it was over when they put out hear in the now frontier and that was when degarmo was still in the band and he wrote most of that flaming pile of shizzit!
Eh, the album with LaTorre sounded pretty tired to me. I don’t understand the attraction. It’s not 1988 anymore and I don’t want to hear second rate versions of Operation Mindcrime songs over and over again. They peaked with Empire. Tate’s Queensryche album was not very good either.
I felt the same about VH. Love the Hagar version, but I never wanted to hear him singing Panama or Ain’t Talkin’ bout love. Make some new music, new sound, leave the past in the past.
As far as DeGarmo goes, he came back to write songs for Tribe, which was also a less than stellar record. Time moves on. Some genre’s of music don’t age that well. It’s why Steel Panther is so successful. I’d rather watch a parody/comedy act poking fun at the silly pretentious crap that was put out in the 80’s than stand in line for Queensryche- minus- Tate show. And lets be honest, as much as I like Operation Mindcrime, I’d rather hear some new sounds.
I’d rather have them all hang it up and do something new. Ratt, Great White, Skid Row, Kiss, on and on. Hang it up kids.
I think the album with LaTorre is brilliant. Forget the name Queensryche, it’s just a really good heavy progressive hard rock album. I’m glad the original members were able to work out a deal. Tate has name recognition on his own anyway. Now it’s up to him what kind of audience he wants to cater to. LaTorre also sounds great on the live bonus tracks (Queen of the Reich & En Force).