Rock & Roll Courtroom: When Bandmates Bring the Drama (and the Lawsuits!)

-

They say music soothes the savage beast—but apparently it also unleashes it, right into a courtroom. 

From sibling rivalries to “Amex-gate,” here are 8 legendary acts that traded guitar riffs for legal briefs, proving that behind every power chord is a power struggle!

1. Jane’s Addiction

What Happened: Last year in Boston, front-man Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro went from stage siblings to legal adversaries after Farrell allegedly punched Navarro both on-stage and backstage. 

Drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery sued Farrell for at least $10 million, accusing him of “erratic” behavior that tanked the rest of their reunion tour and scrapped a planned upcoming album.

Counter-punch: Not to be outdone, Perry and his wife, Etty Lau Farrell, fired back with their own lawsuit, blaming the others for the onstage brawl. 

This one’s still heating up!—stay tuned for Round-2...

2. The Beach Boys

What Happened: Cousins Brian Wilson and Mike Love have duked it out over songwriting credits since the 1990s. 

Love claimed a 2004 promotional CD of re‑recorded hits cost him millions and violated their partnership.

Resolution: Love’s 2007 suit was tossed by Judge Audrey Collins—but the Wilson‑Love saga is more enduring than “Good Vibrations.”

3. Oasis

What Happened: The Gallagher brothers’ feud is rock legend. 

In 2011, Liam sued Noel for blaming Liam’s hangover (vs. his laryngitis) for canceling a festival show in 2009. 

Liam’s goal? An apology and “the truth” for Oasis fans.

Resolution: The lawsuit was dropped, but the sibling slug-fest remains a Brit‑pop blood-sport.

4. Creedence Clearwater Revival

What Happened: CCR’s post‑split career morphed into Conflict, Clash, Repeat. 

In 1996, John Fogerty sued ex‑mates Doug Clifford and Stu Cook for using “Creedence Clearwater Revisited.” 

They counter‑sued, alleging Fogerty trashed the Revisited name and misused CCR branding. 

Fogerty later claimed they owed him songwriting royalties.

Resolution: A federal court merged the cases, settling confidentially in 2017—proof that rock grudges can end in an out‑of‑court jam.

5. Fleetwood Mac

What Happened: No surprise here—love and litigation go hand-in-hand for Fleetwood Mac. 

After kicking lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham off their 2018 tour, the band was served suit. 

Buckingham said he was told five days after a Radio City Music Hall gig that he was out—and that he’d lose at least $12 million in tour proceeds.

Resolution: Buckingham announced a settlement later that year, presumably with fewer tortured guitar solos.

6. Journey

What Happened: In 2022, guitarist Neal Schon sued keyboardist Jonathan Cain over access to the band’s American Express card creating the moniker "Amex-gate".

Cain countered that Schon was racking up “enormous personal charges.” Because nothing says rock ’n’ roll like arguing over dinner bills.

Resolution: A judge in 2024 appointed a custodian to handle Journey’s finances—no more backstage billing battles.

7. Hall & Oates

What Happened: In 2023, Daryl Hall sued John Oates, arguing that Oates’ plan to sell his share of their joint venture broke their decades‑old business agreement. 

A judge temporarily blocked the sale, so Hall’s “Maneater” instincts extended to corporate contracts.

Resolution: The dispute is still under arbitration—so these soul‑pop pioneers are still soul‑searching in court.

8. The Beatles

What Happened: Even the Fab Four needed divorce papers. 

In 1970, Paul McCartney sued John, George, and Ringo to dissolve their 1967 Apple partnership and oust manager Allen Klein. 

As McCartney told British GQ in 2020, “The only way for me to save The Beatles and Apple was to sue the band.”

Resolution: McCartney won in 1971; a “Beatles Agreement” finalized business affairs in 1974—because even at Abbey Road, paperwork rules.

Bands: they write the songs that soundtrack our lives—and occasionally the lawsuits that keep courtroom stenographers employed! 

From fistfights to billing fights, rock’s greatest names prove that behind every killer riff lies a killer contract. Rock on…in court!


“No paywall. No puppets. Just local truth. Chip in $3 today” at https://buymeacoffee.com/doublejeopardynews

“Enjoy this content without corporate censorship? Help keep it that way.”

“Ad-Free. Algorithm-Free. 100% Independent. Support now.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#RockNJustice
#CourtroomRockStars
#LegalLicks
#BattleOfTheBandsuits
#JaneSlawsuitAddiction
#BeachBoysBeefs
#OasisOffBeat
#CCRClash
#FleetwoodMacFeud
#JourneyBillingBattle
#HallOatesHoldout
#BeatlesBreakupBriefs
#RockNRollWrongs
#MusicAndMayhem
#LawsuitLyricists

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Please Help Find These Forgotten Girls Held at Male Juvenile Prison for Over a Year!

-
Image
  MY MOST IMPORTANT STORY  Dozens of Forgotten Little Girls Held at Male Juvenile Prison for Over a Year! Welcome to the Sunshine State, where the palm trees sway, the alligators lurk, and the legislative process makes Kafka look like a life coach!  Florida House Bill HB21 . Not just a compensation bill but possibly a 20 million dollar "Stay out of Jail Free" card for some folks. This is a bill that does some good—but also trips over its own shoelaces, falls down a staircase, and lands on a historical oversight so big, it might as well have its own zip code! An oversight that overlooks what I consider to be its most vulnerable victims! The Setup: Justice with a Catch HB21 was enacted on July 1, 2024 to compensate victims of abuse from two male juvenile detention facilities located in Florida, Dozier and Okeechobee.  It says, “Hey, survivors of abuse between 1940 and 1975, here’s some compensation for the horrific things you endured!” Sounds good, right? Like a...
Read more

Here's A New HOA Rule Dictating What You Can Do Inside Your Home

-
Image
HOA Overreach: When Your Own Home Isn’t Really Your Own The joys of homeownership—the American dream!  That magical place where you can paint the walls any color you like, blast your music (within reason), and enjoy the simple pleasure of—wait, never mind..... Turns out, your HOA might have something to say about what you do inside your own four walls. Case in point: A longtime homeowner, who has peacefully lived in his residence for 25 years, was blindsided when his HOA suddenly banned smoking inside individual homes.  That’s right—after a quarter-century of no issues, he was informed that lighting up indoors was no longer an option.  The new rule, passed at the HOA’s annual meeting by a majority vote, now restricts smoking to a designated outdoor area. Now, while some might see this as a health-conscious decision, the homeowner—whose wife is a smoker—sees it as an unfair overreach.  In a letter to a local publication, he expressed frustration, writing, “I’ve live...
Read more

Postal Police Stuck Behind ‘Keep Out’ Signs While Mailmen Face Muggers: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!!

-
Image
As crime against letter carriers surges, one would think that America’s armed, uniformed Postal Police might be hitting the streets to protect our mail.  Instead, they’re still glued to their post office entrances like sentries guarding Fort Frownmore.  Why?  Because since 2020, the Postmaster General decreed they must “protect postal property” only—meaning, they currently serve as glorified lobby bouncers rather than actual roaming guardians of the mailstream. “ They’re robbing letter carriers, they’re sticking a gun in a letter carrier’s face and they’re demanding arrow keys, ” laments Frank Albergo , president of the National Postal Police Union and a Postal Police Officer himself.  An "arrow key" in the context of the Post Office is a specialized, universal key that postal workers use to access various locked mail receptacles, including collection boxes, apartment mailboxes, and cluster boxes. Albergo isn’t exaggerating—research shows over 100 physical assaul...
Read more