According to
Billboard.com, it appears singer
Geoff Tate is preparing to tour with his own version of
QUEENSRŸCHE following his split with the band's original members, guitarist
Michael Wilton, drummer
Scott Rockenfield and bassist
Eddie Jackson.
Tate's personal web site,
GeoffTate.com, was recently upgraded with a new banner that reads "
Geoff Tate: The Voice Of
QUEENSRŸCHE." He is also
billed on the web site for booking agency
Monterey International as "
QUEENSRŸCHE Starring
Geoff Tate: The Original Voice." The band's lineup isn't listed. A request from
Billboard to
Monterey to verify
Tate's responsible agent was not returned by press time.
Wilton,
Jackson,
Rockenfield and
Parker Lundgren (guitar) announced on June 20 that they were parting ways with
Geoff Tate and recruiting
La Torre of
CRIMSON GLORY as his replacement.
Wilton,
Jackson and
Rockenfield defeated
Tate's motion for a preliminary injunction on July 13 that would have kept them from touring and operating under the band name,
Tate and his wife,
Susan,
QUEENSRŸCHE's former manager, filed a lawsuit against
Geoff's ex-bandmates on June 22 in King County Superior Court over whether he should be awarded the
QUEENSRŸCHE name after being dismissed from the group in June. Their complaint states
Rockenfield,
Wilton and
Jackson wrongfully fired the singer and are tarnishing the group's brand by attempting to move forward without him.
If the case goes to trial, the date is set for November 18, 2013.
In the meantime,
Wilton,
Jackson and
Rockenfield, along with
Lundgren and
La Torre have launched a new web site at
QueensrycheOfficial.com.
The new
QUEENSRŸCHE lineup made its official live debut as the headliner of the last day of this year's
Halfway Jam, which took place July 26-28 in Royalton, Minnesota.
Lundgren was briefly married to
Geoff's stepdaughter
Miranda; they have since divorced.
Pictured below:
Geoff Tate (photo by
Stephanie Cabral)
