QUEENSRŸCHE & Geoff Tate meet official agreement on QUEENSRŸCHE name and more!

 QUEENSRŸCHE dispute comes to a conclusion.

Band keeps Name, Tate keeps Mindcrimes

Officially QUEENSRŸCHE

The first post on this site last year was in regards to the whole debacle about Geoff Tate getting fired from QUEENSRŸCHE and starting up his own QUEENSRŸCHE. Both Tate's band of misfit players known as QUEENSRŸCHE and the remaining members of QUEENSRŸCHE released albums seperately to varying degrees of success. To put it bluntly, Tate rushed out a terrible album panned by critics and fans as the worse material ever put out under the band's name. The other QUEENSRŸCHE along with new lead singer Todd La Torre were much more successful in translating the style that fans had expected from the band.

Fans were told to expect an official outcome about the use of the band's name and rights to recording under that said name. The end date for the court case was pushed back a few times and today, QUEENSRŸCHE officially released a statement. Which QUEENSRŸCHE you ask?
Here's the statement:

"We wanted to let QUEENSRŸCHE 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 QUEENSRŸCHE name. According to the agreement, original QUEENSRŸCHE 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 QUEENSRŸCHE, performing selections from their entire musical catalog that spans over 30 years of material. Original QUEENSRŸCHE 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."

Geoff Tate - Proud owner of Mindcrimes I & II

The above statement was released jointly by Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton and Geoff Tate.

Tate added
"One thing that's really important for people to understand is that this never went to court. 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 QUEENSRŸCHE, and I will continue on as me."

And so the dispute is over. I'm sure fans will sling mud from time to time but I think this outcome was as favorable for the fans as it was for the band members former and current. Good luck to all.