Singer JOHNNY SOLINGER Quits SKID ROW

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Singer Johnny Solinger has announced his departure from SKID ROW. He says in a statement: "I have decided to leave SKID ROW to pursue my solo career. The past 15 years has been a great experience and I have appreciated the opportunity to be the lead singer in one of the most prominent bands of the 1990s and share stages with the likes of AEROSMITH, BON JOVI and KISS, performing in front of millions throughout the world. I wish SKID ROW the best of luck in their future pursuits."

Asked about former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach's constant calls for a reunion of the band's classic lineup, Solinger told SROMaginc.com last fall: "Well, it's really a non-issue. It's so long ago, and it's not gonna happen, so… I can't speak for him. I really don't ever talk about the old regime. This is gonna be my fourth record with the band. So it's just a non-issue. It's not even a topic. It's whole different world. It's been a decade and a half. So that speaks for itself."

Bach in July 2012 posted a letter on his Facebook page in which he said he was willing to reunite with SKID ROW. "For the fans, I would be willing to put my ego aside and do something that would be special for the people who put us where we are today," he wrote. "I do not personally want it myself. But it's not always about 'what I want.' If the fans really want to see us together, I would do it for the fans. Sometimes you can do things for people other than yourself."

Bach said he wanted to write the letter in response to Solinger's interview in which Johnny said a tweet by Bach about a possible SKID ROW reunion was an attempt to "get attention."

Pressed by Revolver magazine on why a SKID ROW reunion hasn't happened yet after he spent the past few years "teasing" it, Bach said: "I wasn't teasing. I go onstage every night and I sing my songs. Those are my songs. That's my voice. I'm part owner of the band, but it's not my call."

Asked what caused such bad blood between him and the rest of SKID ROW, Bach said: "I don't even remember. If you put a gun to my head, I couldn't tell you. They're happy doing what they're doing. I think it's an insult to everybody who ever bought a record. But they do the opposite of what the audience wants and they don't care."

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, most recently featured a lineup consisting of original bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and Solinger.

"Scotti, Rachel and myself made a vow early on that once it wasn't fun anymore we weren't gonna do it," Sabo told AXS.com. "And we did, until it wasn't fun anymore and we made the necessary changes in order for it to be enjoyable."

He continued: "There should be no way that you're ever playing music unhappy or unsettled. It can't be a miserable experience and we made changes.

"We figured it out that the three of us love making music together. We're proud of the songs that we created together and we wanted to play those songs again. We just wanted to do it with different people, so we did.

"Do you want to hang out with somebody that you just don't get along with? It doesn't make any sense. I want to enjoy life.

"[The latest SKID ROW] EP ['Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two'] was the most fun I've ever had with the SKID ROW record. That says something after doing this for 28 years."

Bolan confirmed to Classic Rock Revisited that SKID ROW was "offered money" to reunite with Bach for a festival appearance or tour. "It's not as much as people would think, but we've been offered money to do it," he said. "I think us not doing it kind of says that it is not about money as to why we are not doing it."

He continued: "I am not patting myself on the back, but with our past success, I have plenty of money. I am more about being happy at what I do.

"As far as everyone pointing the finger at me [as being the main reason there hasn't been a reunion with Bach], that came from one person.

"We are all individuals. If [the other guys in the band] wanted to do it, then I am sure I would have heard about it by now, as they are my best friends. It is what it is, and certain people say certain things, and you've just got to sit back and laugh."
 

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SKID ROW Recruits Former TNT Singer TONY HARNELL


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SKID ROW has recruited former TNT vocalist Tony Harnell (pictured) as the band's new lead singer following the departure of the group's frontman of the past 15 years, Johnny Solinger.

During an appearance on today's (Monday, April 6) edition of Eddie Trunk's SiriusXM satellite radio show, "Eddie Trunk Live", SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo said: "[SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan and I] have known Tony for a really, really long time, and always have admired him as a singer and as a front guy. He's a really good guy."

He continued: "I think we all found ourselves kind of in a crossroads, so to speak — at kind of like a… pretty much much serendipitous moment in our lives. And so the thought was in the back of our heads that, 'You know what?! Maybe we should reach out to him.'"

Added Bolan: "Like Snake said, we've been friends with Tony for a long time. And one year, a while ago, we had dinner together. At Christmas, I went up to see the folks in New Jersey, and I went to New York. And Tony and a few other friends, we all had dinner, and we just started talking. And we just… [It was] mutual admiration society. And then, when it came into our mind that we were gonna make a switch, we spoke about Tony, because he just seemed like such a natural fit. And we got in touch with him. He was way into it, [and] we were way into it. We got together [and] we played some songs. It sounded great. We just did some recording together, and it's just… It's, like, wow! This is swesome. It just sounds so natural of a fit. And we're happy. We're very happy. We're happy to have him onboard."

Asked why they decided against reuniting with the vocalist of SKID ROW's classic lineup, Sebastian Bach, Snake said: "It wasn't something that we entertained, to be quite honest. It's just something that, honestly, we didn't even think about. Making a change for us was about getting somebody new."

Added Rachel: "Honestly, all of us, we were, like, 'You know what?! It's not something that we wanna do.' Everyone's got their own thing going on — cool, and that's great, but it wasn't something we even considered. We never once said, 'Well, let's have a reunion.' We were just, like, 'Okay, let's think about Tony.' [Laughs] You know what I mean?! It was just that simple."

He continued: "I've been made to be the bad guy in a lot of stuff, and I've taken a lot of flak, and that's fine — whatever. But it really never entered our minds."

Said Snake: "Rachel's right. This is a group, and he's right. It was something that… We wanted to get somebody new.

"Rachel has been labeled a bad guy, and that's completely off mark. It shouldn't be that way, because it's our decision. And, for better or for worse, it's decisions that we make…

"We've made decisions in this band because we started this band 28 years ago, and sometimes [our decisions are] not popular, but you have to be happy in doing what you do."

Regarding his addition to SKID ROW, Harnell said in a statement: "I'm so excited and honored to be a part of such a great band with an amazing legacy and legions of faithful fans!

"The guys and I have known each other for many years and this is such a natural fit.

"I look forward to getting out there and playing live together and being a part of making new music and creating our future together. It's time to rock!"

The band will head into the studio this summer to record the third chapter of the "United World Rebellion" trilogy. They will also hit the road for another world tour.

On the topic of Solinger's departure from SKID ROW, Sabo said: "We had a lot of great times together and created a lot of great music. We wish him nothing but the best."

Added Bolan: "Sometimes things just end. People go in different directions and grow apart and you have to make a decision. He will always be our brother."

Solinger announced his departure from SKID ROW earlier today. He explained in a statement: "I have decided to leave SKID ROW to pursue my solo career. The past 15 years has been a great experience and I have appreciated the opportunity to be the lead singer in one of the most prominent bands of the 1990s and share stages with the likes of AEROSMITH, BON JOVI and KISS, performing in front of millions throughout the world. I wish SKID ROW the best of luck in their future pursuits."

Sebastian Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, most recently featured a lineup consisting of original bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and Solinger.

Harnell's latest exit from TNT took place in early January, a little over a year after he rejoined the group.


Read more at Skid Row Recruits Former Tnt Singer Tony Harnell - Blabbermouth.net
 

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I love Tony, but he belongs in TNT.

Has anyone really paid attention to Skid Row post-Bas?
 

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SKID ROW fired singer Johnny Solinger (pictured) over the phone a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement, the band revealed in a new interview.

Solinger, who joined SKID ROW in 1999, released a statement on Monday (April 6) claiming that he had "decided to leave SKID ROW to pursue [his] solo career."

However, during an appearance on yesterday's edition of Eddie Trunk's SiriusXM satellite radio show, "Eddie Trunk Live", SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo and bassist Rachel Bolan disputed Solinger's version of the split, saying that it was them who "made the call and informed" Johnny that "we were making a change and we were gonna be going forward as SKID ROW with a new singer."

Asked about the circumstances that led to Solinger's exit from SKID ROW, Sabo said: "First of all, it's one of those things where there's no animosity with Johnny at all, from our standpoint. But it felt like it was just time for us to make a change."

He continued: "We have been feeling this way for a little while.

"We're thankful for the fifteen years that we had with Johnny. But it just felt like it was just time that we needed to make a change. And Rachel, Scotti [Hill, guitar] and I and Rob [Hammersmith, drums] spoke about it, and we just felt that if we're gonna do something, we should do it now."

Regarding the fact that Solinger announced that it was he who made the decision to leave SKID ROW, Snake said: "Contrary to what he may be saying — and this is not a 'he said, she said' thing — this is something that we had discussed for a while. And it was our decision and we made the call and informed him that we were making a change and we were gonna be going forward as SKID ROW with a new singer."

Added Rachel: "Without bagging on the guy… There's still a connection, hopefully, there with him, because we were all brothers at one time. It just became evident a while back — not a long while, but maybe a year or so — that it just… Everyone was going in a different direction, as far as him and the band. And we just wanted to be the best band we could be, and I think Johnny had a different idea for quality. So it was just one of those things, man. We talked about it and we wrestled over it, and we were, like, this is SKID ROW. This means a lot to us. We started this over 25 years ago. And it's something that sucks doing, but we're okay with doing it, 'cause this is SKID ROW. This is our lives."

Asked if there was ever a time where they felt things were "clicking" and "100 percent right" between Solinger and the rest of the band, Rachel said: "We were clicking big time. I thought we made a lot of great music together. And even with [the ongoing trilogy of] EPs, when we were in the studio, we were making great music. Snake and I would write, and everyone came in and really sunk in. I think it was when we were in the studio that it really became evident that we all didn't have the same heart and soul… We weren't all putting the same heart and soul into it. And it's just one of those things, man. It's rough to make a decision like this, but we did, and we have someone in place, and it's been awesome."

Added Snake: "This has nothing to do with Johnny not being a good person; he's a really good person, and we all got along well. There's no animosity at all from our end. And these are terrible decisions to make, man. They're awful. The guy's been with us for fifteen years, and we saw a lot of miles of road together, and I feel extremely fortunate to have spent that time in a band with him. And he's a great singer and he's gonna be fine. He's gonna pursue his solo stuff, I guess, and that's what he should do. And for us, we're moving forward. We're excited about the future. These things are never easy. They're life-altering decisions, you know. But it's a decision that had to be made, from our standpoint, and we made that decision. And we basically said to Johnny that we're making a change and getting a new singer."

Sabo also revealed that SKID ROW's decision to fire Solinger came as a surprise to the singer and that Johnny received the call informing him of his dismissal from the group on Monday morning.

On the topic of how Solinger reacted to being fired from SKID ROW, Snake said: "There was no screaming and shouting. We were both very respectful to one another. And we should be. I mean, like I said, we've traveled a lot of miles together, and this is not something that is easy in any way, but yet it's something that was necessary."

Asked how parting ways with Solinger was different to the split with Sebastian Bach in 1996, Rachel said: "That was a completely different situation. There was a lot of bad blood there, and… Yeah, it was a completely different situation. This is something, like Snake said, there's no animosity. It's just… We all didn't have our eyes on the same prize at this point, and it interfered. It interfered with moving forward. And that's why we made a change."

Harnell will make his live debut with SKID ROW on May 23 at Dakota Dunes Casino in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.


Read more at Skid Row Fired Johnny Solinger A Few Hours Before Announcing Tony Harnell As His Replacement - Blabbermouth.net
 

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