Graham Bonnet recently addressed accusations from his former Alcatrazz bandmates regarding lip syncing. He delivered a sharp response in a statement shared on Stairway To Rock.
The veteran vocalist expressed frustration with his former bandmates who continue to perform under the Alcatrazz name and have made claims about his live performances.
“Well, I’ve had my ex band[mates from Alcatrazz], my ex dead band called Alcatrazz, they’re going out as that band. They call themselves Alcatrazz, and the manager of the band is singing. It’s f*cking incredible,” Bonnet said.
The 77-year-old singer went on to defend his live vocal abilities and dismiss the lip syncing allegations.
“And they’re saying I lip sync and all that kind of thing, and they’re doing anything to try to destroy me. And this is not the way it is, because you can see by [the videos that have been released for ‘Lost In Hollywood Again’] — no, there’s nothing there. I am live, I am singing. I can’t fool people with that anymore. That’s something you do when you are on [BBC’s flagship] ‘Top Of The Pops’ [show] or something, or something like that, on a TV show,” he continued.
Bonnet emphasized his commitment to live performance and addressed questions about his vocal longevity.
“But live, you have to sing live, and that’s what I do. And people are saying to me, ‘How can you do this when you’re 77 years old? You sound the same as you did when you were 30,'” he concluded.
This latest controversy stems from ongoing tensions between Bonnet and his former bandmates. These tensions have escalated into a public feud over the band’s legacy and current operations.
AOL reported that Bonnet left Alcatrazz in 2020 following disputes over the band’s management and overall direction. He reportedly grew frustrated with how the group was being handled. The split marked the end of Bonnet’s second tenure with the band he originally founded in the early 1980s.
The band’s history traces back to Bonnet’s departure from Rainbow. TV Tropes noted that he either left or was fired depending on different accounts. He subsequently founded Alcatrazz before being replaced by Joe Lynn Turner in Rainbow. This pattern of departures and disputes appears to have continued throughout Bonnet’s career.
BraveWords described the split as a nasty “divorce” with the resurrected Alcatrazz. Following this separation, Bonnet has been focusing on his solo career and recently released material. The ongoing feud has resulted in both sides making public statements about each other’s legitimacy and performance capabilities.
The current Alcatrazz lineup continues to tour and record under the band name. Meanwhile, Bonnet pursues his solo career. This creates a situation where fans must choose between competing versions of the band’s legacy. This dispute highlights the complex dynamics that can emerge when veteran musicians part ways with their longtime collaborators.
