Former Gillan bassist John McCoy has made serious allegations about financial misconduct within the band. He revealed details about why guitarist Bernie Tormé left the group in 1981, as shared in an interview with Rock Daydream Nation.
McCoy’s revelations came in response to a direct question about the circumstances surrounding Tormé’s departure from the band.
McCoy provided a detailed explanation of the financial disputes that plagued the band when asked “Why did Bernie Tormé leave Gillan in 1981?”
“Because he was being ripped off as we all were,” McCoy said. “And sadly he found some concrete proof of it when we were on tour in Germany.”
The bassist explained that the band members had been questioning their financial situation despite their apparent success.
“We’d been asking for accounts and you know we were pretty successful,” he continued. “We were selling out tours all over the world and we were still struggling. It was hard to understand why we weren’t getting the rewards.”
McCoy described how Tormé took matters into his own hands to uncover the truth about their finances.
“Bernie did his own investigations and found out how much money we weren’t getting and confronted Ian with it and said, ‘Unless we get some accounts, I’m going,'” McCoy revealed. “And Ian makes a big shout about it was something to do with Bernie not wanting to do a Top of the Pop show. That’s just absolutely crap.”
The bassist also reflected on his own position within the band and his initial trust in Ian Gillan.
“It’s so hard to explain but people say to me, ‘Well, how come you didn’t go?’ Well, I trusted Ian 100% from day one,” McCoy said. “I mean I trusted him to stand by what he said he wasn’t going to rip us off. He was Ian Gillan. He was a millionaire. He went to shows in his Rolls-Royce for Christ’s sake. But unfortunately, he did do it.”
McCoy’s allegations reveal a pattern of financial troubles that extended beyond the Gillan band itself. They highlight broader issues within Ian Gillan’s business ventures during this period.
Louder Sound reported that Ian Gillan faced severe financial difficulties during the early 1980s. He lost his studio, hotel, motorcycle company, car, and house due to financial problems with his band and other business ventures. The Deep Purple vocalist was reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy. This may have contributed to the financial pressures within the Gillan band.
The financial disputes within Gillan were not isolated incidents but part of a larger pattern of monetary conflicts in Ian Gillan’s career. Far Out Magazine documented that Deep Purple also experienced significant financial mismanagement and legal battles over royalties throughout their career. These ongoing financial troubles suggest that the issues McCoy described were symptomatic of broader management problems.
Bernie Tormé’s departure ultimately led to legal action that vindicated his concerns about the band’s financial practices. Wikipedia noted that Tormé later sued Gillan for music royalties and won the case. This provided concrete evidence of the financial misconduct that McCoy described in his recent interview.
The financial chaos within the Gillan organization was further complicated by issues with external management and accounting practices. Blabbermouth revealed that Ian Gillan later disclosed that Deep Purple’s former accountant was eventually imprisoned for financial crimes. This highlighted the extent of the monetary mismanagement that affected multiple bands associated with Gillan.
These revelations shed new light on the internal conflicts that led to the dissolution of one of the early 1980s’ notable rock bands. They provide context for the broader financial troubles that plagued Ian Gillan’s various musical ventures during this turbulent period.
