Brush Shiels, bassist and founder of the original Irish band Skid Row, recently spoke out about the controversial use of his band’s name by the American rock group. He shared his perspective during an interview with Guitar World.
Shiels addressed the long-standing rumor regarding how the American band acquired the name, particularly focusing on the claim that Gary Moore sold it for $35,000. When asked about the story of the American band adopting the name in the 1980s and the rumor surrounding the alleged sale by Moore, Shiels expressed strong disagreement.
“That was the worst thing I’d ever heard,” Shiels said.
“Gary rang and said, ‘Jon Bon Jovi is managing this band with Richie Sambora and Doc McGee. They’d love to use our name.’ They thought it was Gary’s band, but he wasn’t even there when it started! Gary said, ‘Jon Bon Jovi should be ringing you.’”
The bassist described his attempts to seek legal recourse and confront Bon Jovi directly.
“I saw the best lawyer in Dublin. I can’t get into it,” he continued.
“But there’s some very funny stories about me going to look for Jon Bon Jovi when he came over. It kind of turned into a mythological thing, where I went to look for him when he was playing and asked him about why he stole the name. But all I wanted was an apology.”
When asked about whether anyone from the American Skid Row ever apologized, Shiels revealed the band members’ conflicting claims about the name’s origin.
“They couldn’t, because the two guys – Snake Sabo and Rachel Bolan – were too busy telling people they’d thought of the name,” he said. “But at this stage I’m not going to sue them. They’re getting so little for their gigs that they’ll be the ruin of my lifestyle!”
