Every band has a history of ups and downs that portray their journey in the music industry. Whether the bands stick together for the long haul or have a roller coaster of a ride from lineup changes to lawsuits that end in disbandment, it’s all a part of the band’s musical journey in the industry.
For Third Eye Blind, the road was not an easy one where; they had to go through many lineup changes, firing guitarists, and lawsuits between bandmates while also trying to still make music and continue their careers. Let’s look at the band’s journey from the beginning and where they are now.
New Beginnings And Departures In Third Eye Blind
The Third Eye Blind’s start, which seemed solid, dates back to the 90s when the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan managed to get signed by a record company. The band, which consisted of Jenkins, Cadogan, Arion Salazar, and Brad Hargreaves, released their self-titled debut album in 1997.
The follow-up album was when everything started to crumble for the band. After the release of their second album ‘Blue’ in 1999 with the same lineup turned into a controversial breakup as Cadogan, the original co-founder of the band, was no longer a part of the lineup. For instance, with guitarist Tony Fredianelli the band also parted ways with him shortly, in which they added Kryz Reid as the lead guitarist.
The next fifteen years were a lot of the same situation where no coming musician was a permanent member, and there were constant lineup changes in the midst of making albums and releases, even tours. The band was ever-evolving but had different musicians in different eras of their body of works that brought them to today.
What Are The Conspiracy Theories About Kevin Cadogan’s Departure?
This departure was no ordinary situation as Kevin’s release made headlines when it was announced that he was fired from the band without a lengthy explanation or, in fact, no explanation whatsoever as to what was the real reason behind such a drastic decision for the band was since he was half of the reason they had gotten their start in the business in the first place.
Kevin had always assumed that Third Eye Blind was an equal partnership with Stephen, but it wasn’t a mutual understanding after all. The songwriter didn’t see the band’s decision to fire him coming as he was the co-writer of ten of the fourteen songs on the debut album. The album became a massive success, spawning several Billboard Top 10 singles. The follow-up album was no different in the sense that Kevin had co-written six of the thirteen songs.
The departure all stemmed from Kevin’s allegations that Jenkins and he were partners of the corporation named Third Eye Blind Inc. However, Jenkins, alongside the band’s manager Eric Godtland and the band’s attorney Thomas Mandelbaum issued Jenkins 100% of the shares to himself, which made him the sole owner of all Third Eye Blind assets. He even was told that the shares had not been issued to anyone.
When Kevin learned what had happened behind closed doors and that Jenkins owned 100% of the band, he refused to sign any more recording contracts and loans until shares were issued to him. The removed guitarist explained that he was fired without warning because he didn’t agree to a deal that would have given a $1 million advance to record an EP and start an Elektra Records imprint while the other members did.
Cadogan filed for wrongful termination, adding that production, recording, and songwriter copyrights have been withheld since his dismissal from the group. The case was settled out of court in June 2002; however, no comments were made about the settlement terms.
Stephen Jenkins And Kevin Cadogan’s Net Worths In 2023
Stephen Jenkins, who is still the frontman of Third Eye Blind, has a net worth of $9 million. He had many popular releases with the band where he co-wrote several tracks such as ‘Semi-Charmed Life,’ ‘Losing a Whole Year,’ ‘Graduate,’ and ‘Never Let You Go.’ Along the way, the musician has been involved in several lawsuits, including with his former ‘songwriting partner’ Kevin Cadogan.
Regarding the former member of Third Eye Blind, Kevin Cadogan, he’s not that far off from the frontman with $6 million, considering their history within the band and how it was resolved. After he departed from the band, he released solo recordings, including the albums ‘Wunderfoot,’ ’12 days in Studio A,’ and ‘Thousand Yard Stare’ which added to his repertoire.
