Motorhead and Scorpions drummer Mikkey Dee recently opened up about his departure from King Diamond and his current relationship with his former bandmate. He shared his thoughts in an interview with 101 WRIF.
When asked about the last time he spoke with King Diamond and their current relationship, Dee provided insight into both their personal connection and the reasons behind his 1989 departure from the band.
“It’s fine. I don’t talk to him frequently,” Dee said. “He came and saw me in Dallas where he lives when we passed through with Scorpions a few years ago and I called him. I maybe not last year.”
The drummer explained that they maintain contact and recently reconnected at a festival performance.
“We stay in touch and actually I saw him last summer in Barcelona at the festival they did,” he continued. “So we had a long good chat there and it’s all fine, you know. We’re on good terms. And you know, when I left in the 80s, it was for some different reasons. It wasn’t because I didn’t like King or anything. It was just, as I said, I felt like a narrow drummer, right? I wanted to play something else.”
Dee elaborated on the band dynamics that influenced his decision to leave. He emphasized the importance of unity within a group.
“I didn’t think we were a team anymore as much as we were earlier years,” he explained. “I thought maybe King was going off more on himself and the rest of the band. We were one piece and he was we kind of separated a little bit. And that wasn’t what I liked for the band. We what I liked was when we were five guys best friends and right we worked in one direction and that is very important for me.”
The drummer concluded by emphasizing his philosophy about band relationships. He stated: “I wouldn’t stay with Rolling Stones if I played with them or any huge if Beatles started up again and and they offered me this spot if we weren’t best buddies I wouldn’t play there, you know. It’s just not me.”
Dee’s departure from King Diamond marked the end of a significant chapter in both musicians’ careers. The drummer had been instrumental in creating some of the band’s most acclaimed work during the mid-to-late 1980s.
Arrow Lords of Metal reported that Dee played on the classic King Diamond albums “Fatal Portrait,” “Abigail,” and “Them” until he left in 1988 to join Don Dokken. These albums are widely considered among the band’s finest work and helped establish King Diamond as a major force in heavy metal.
The timeline of Dee’s departure was more complex than initially apparent. Wikipedia noted that after leaving the band in 1988, Dee returned briefly as a session drummer for King Diamond’s 1989 album “Conspiracy.” This became the last King Diamond record he played on. The album was released on August 21, 1989, through Roadrunner Records.
In previous interviews, Dee has provided additional context about his departure. He explained that he felt the band was moving in a different musical direction than what he preferred. Blabbermouth documented that Dee stated he wanted to play “more straight-ahead rock and roll” and felt “a little stressed in King Diamond in the end.”
Despite the circumstances of his departure, Dee has remained open to the possibility of working with King Diamond again. Blabbermouth revealed that when asked about potentially reuniting with the band, Dee responded positively. He said it would be “great fun” for him, demonstrating that any past tensions have been resolved over the years.
