Former Skid Row singer Erik Grönwall opened up about his time working with Michael Schenker and clarified why he chose not to join Schenker’s US tour, in an interview published by Chaoszine.
Grönwall explained how Schenker helped restore his confidence after a difficult period. He made clear that his decision to step away from the US tour was driven by a desire to focus on his own music — not by any conflict with Schenker.
“I can tell you is that Michael Schenker made me feel really confident about trying again, going out there because I was I was scared to go out on the road again just because I didn’t want to end up in that situation where I, you know, let everybody down,” Grönwall said. “I mean, cuz bands, you know, you work as a team and you move on and you get over it. But the fans, you know, having fans in the venue and you go on stage and have I mean, it sucks.”
Grönwall went on to describe the safety net Schenker put in place, which helped ease his concerns about returning to touring.
“So, what Michael did, he made me feel really comfortable about finding that solution where he was like, ‘So, when we started rehearsing, we had another singer ready. He practiced all the parts as well,'” he continued. “And then he ended up doing a couple of tours actually, Leah, and a great singer, you know. I don’t want to call him a stand-in singer because he ended up doing more tours than I did basically. So, obviously I felt good about going on that tour and everything went great. So, Michael really gave me that confidence back again.”
Grönwall then addressed the reason he ultimately did not participate in Schenker’s US tour, pushing back against speculation that the split was on bad terms.
“I mean that that was uh the only reason why I decided to do it and why I felt good about doing it. And then we ended up doing Japan together,” he said. “The only reason why I didn’t do the US tour with Michael was because I wanted to uh focus on my own music. I know some people think that, you know, oh, he left Michael as well, but I mean the door is always open for Michael. Michael and I talked about it and I told him, ‘I’m sure you understand that I feel like I have to do my own thing.’ Cuz he’s always done his own thing, you know. He was like, ‘You rock.’ So it’s all good. Michael is very easy to work with.”
The comments were made during an interview in which Grönwall also discussed his solo album Bad Bones and life after Skid Row.
Grönwall’s cautious approach to touring stems from a period of serious personal hardship that preceded both his time with Skid Row and his collaboration with Schenker. His fear of letting people down on stage was not without foundation — it was rooted in a health battle that reshaped his entire career.
As Wikipedia noted, Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. The life-threatening illness forced him to step back from music entirely during his recovery. The diagnosis came while he was already fronting Skid Row, making his eventual return to the stage all the more significant.
Chaoszine reported that Grönwall ultimately left Skid Row in March 2024, stating that he needed to prioritize his health and focus on his full recovery. His departure was described as amicable by the band. Both sides acknowledged that a workable touring schedule could not be agreed upon.
Blabbermouth reported that Grönwall later reflected on the decision, saying: “Leaving the band was one of the toughest career decisions I ever made.” He also noted that he would have stayed in Skid Row had a lighter touring schedule been possible. That underscored that the split was driven by necessity rather than a loss of passion for the band.
Loudwire reported that following Grönwall’s exit, Skid Row announced Lzzy Hale as a fill-in vocalist. It was against this backdrop that Grönwall’s partnership with Michael Schenker took on added meaning — offering him a way back to the stage on his own terms, with the security of knowing a backup plan was in place if his health required it.
