Music History Events: Battling Bandmembers
February 19, 1971 In London's Royal Courts of Justice, Paul McCartney's lawsuit against his fellow ex-Beatles begins. McCartney's suit seeks to remove Allen Klein as manager of the group's financial affairs.
February 4, 1969 In response to the other Beatles hiring Allen Klein as manager the day before, Paul McCartney hires his father-in-law's firm, Eastman & Eastman, as general legal counsel for Apple Corps.
February 3, 1969 Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr hire Allen Klein as the group's new manager, against the express wishes of Paul McCartney, who preferred his father-in-law Lee Eastman. The dissension is a deciding factor in the group's breakup a year later.
January 18, 1969 Former Beatles drummer Pete Best wins a defamation suit against his former group. Best sued over remarks Ringo made in an interview implying that he was kicked out of the band because of drug use.
January 2, 1969 The Beatles begin work on what becomes their Let It Be album and accompanying film. The project is filled with tension as the band quarrels over the songs and the direction of the band. Both the film and the album are eventually released after the band breaks up.
November 9, 1967 In a battle of egos, The Byrds's Roger McGuinn boots David Crosby from the group. Crosby is replaced by Gene Clark and goes on to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
January 26, 2018 Fleetwood Mac perform at the Musicares benefit in Radio City Music Hall, where they are honored. It's Lindsey Buckingham's last performance with the group; three months later he is ousted, replaced by Mike Campbell and Neil Finn.
July 27, 2017 Journey members Jonathan Cain, Arnel Pineda and Ross Valory get a tour of the White House and a photo with President Trump in the Oval Office thanks to Cain's wife, Paula, who is chairwoman of Trump's evangelical advisory board and delivered the invocation at his inauguration. The visit doesn't sit well with the band's guitarist, Neal Schon, who blasts Cain on social media and accuses him of using the band to promote his religious views.More
August 26, 2016 Ann Wilson's husband is arrested for assault after getting physical with Nancy Wilson's 16-year-old twin sons, causing a rift between the Heart sisters, who finish their tour using separate dressing rooms and avoiding contact.
December 3, 2015 Crosby, Stills & Nash, which formed in 1968, finally implode at the White House National Christmas Tree Lighting concert when Stephen Stills throws a pick at David Crosby for talking over him. They get though a performance of "Silent Night," but never play together again.
March 11, 2015 Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson and his brother, Andrew, are both rushed to the hospital after a knife fight with each other. According to police, the injuries are not life-threatening.
September 17, 2012 With nine days left in The Beach Boys 50th anniversary reunion tour, lead singer Mike Love announces that he and band member Bruce Johnston will continue touring under the group name without the other three current members: Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks. Squabbles ensue, and after tour, Wilson and Love, who are cousins, have no further contact.
August 14, 2012 John Geils, former guitarist for the semi-retired J. Geils Band, files suit against the other band members to stop them from touring under his name... since he's left the band. The irony stings like bleach in a wound! Despite this move, the remaining members of the band say they'll tour anyway.
February 4, 2007 Razorlight members Johnny Borrell and Carl Dalemo clash onstage at a gig in Lyon. The concert is halted, but the band returns to finish the set.
January 21, 2004 The warts-and-all Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster makes its debut at the Sundance Film Festival.More
November 24, 1997 Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols is the defendant in an episode of Judge Judy. The case is a wrongful termination suit brought on by his former drummer, which Rotten wins.
August 30, 1996 Liam Gallagher flies to America to rejoin his Oasis bandmates on the (What's the Story) Morning Glory? tour. The band played the first four shows with brother Noel taking vocal duties after the capricious singer watched their MTV Unplugged performance from the wings, claiming to be suffering from a throat infection.
April 24, 1996 After being forced to cancel shows, Stone Temple Pilots issue a statement saying that lead singer Scott Weiland has "become unable to rehearse or appear for these shows due to his dependency on drugs. He is currently under a doctor's care in a medical facility." Weiland sees this as a betrayal, and his relationship with his bandmates turns rocky.
October 2, 1994 Following their Bridge School benefit performance in Mountain View, California, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers part ways with their original drummer, Stan Lynch. "Stan had lost all allegiance to us and was auditioning with other bands," Petty explains. "I had the feeling he was only staying around for the money." He is replaced by Average White Band drummer Steve Ferrone.
September 29, 1994 Oasis temporarily split during their first US tour, with guitarist Noel Gallagher walking off stage mid-show in Los Angeles. During a lackluster performance, singer Liam hits his brother over the head with a tambourine. After being tracked down in Las Vegas, Noel is persuaded to return and rejoins the band in Minneapolis.
August 23, 1993 Testifying in court against his former Guns N' Roses bandmate Steve Adler, Duff McKagan is asked about "the spaghetti incident," referring to a time when Adler may or not have eaten McKagan's leftover pasta. The band finds this hilarious and names their next album The Spaghetti Incident.
September 25, 1989 New wave duo Tears for Fears release their third album, The Seeds Of Love. It's the last TFF release to feature Curt Smith, who relocates to New York to pursue a solo career after an acrimonious split with bandmate Roland Orzabal. They reunite in 2004 for Everybody Loves A Happy Ending.
October 31, 1986 Roger Waters sues David Gilmour and Nick Mason to keep them from touring and recording as Pink Floyd. They do so anyway, and later come to an agreement with Waters that allows them to use the name.
December 31, 1978 The Runaways play their final show at Cow Palace, near San Francisco. The all-female hard-rock band have been through several line-up changes, but are finally torn apart through conflict between Joan Jett, who wants to take the band in a glam-rock direction, and Lita Ford who wishes to stay in the hard-rock genre. The band formally split the following April.
August 29, 1976 At a concert in Santa Monica, California, Neil Young joins Firefall on stage, who are opening for Spirit. When the headliners take the stage, Spirit's bass player asks Young to join them, but when he does, Spirit's frontman Randy California pushes him off the stage to the horror of his bandmates, who stop playing and leave.
August 8, 1970 The Stooges fire bass player Dave Alexander after he forgets how to play the songs at their Goose Lake International Music Festival performance in Michigan. It's the last Stooges show with their original lineup, as Alexander dies in 1975 at 27 after years of alcoholism.
January 22, 1969 Billy Preston arrives at Apple Studios, where he helps The Beatles complete the Let It Be album. Preston gives them a musical jolt but more importantly provides a buffer for their infighting - George Harrison had quit the group 12 days earlier.
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