GWAR Sued For Allegedly Stealing Dave Brockie's Cremains
April 6, 2015, 9 years ago
The father of Dave Brockie, the late lead singer of the outlandish thrash metal band Gwar, has sued the band's surviving members, accusing them of having stolen his son's cremated remains, bass guitars and artwork, court documents revealed Monday, according to a report by M. Alex Johnson of NBC News.
Dave Brockie - better known as Oderus Urungus - died March 23, 2014, of acute heroin toxicity.
In the lawsuit, filed Thursday in state circuit court in Richmond, Virginia - where Gwar was formed in 1984 - Brockie's father, William Brockie, the administrator of his estate, seeks $1 million in compensatory damages plus punitive damages for alleged breach of contract and unauthorized use of Dave Brockie's image, as well as the return of Brockie's cremains.
The suit accuses the band of failing to pay Brockie's estate what it was owed for its last tour with Brockie in February and March 2014; and trying to take control of Brockie's estate from his father.
The goal, the suit suggests, was to cash in on Brockie's likeness and effects without permission. The suit says the effort began the very day after Brockie died, when the band's manager allegedly signed bogus releases allowing the band to use his name and likeness for merchandising.
Further details can be found here.
