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Doogie White responds to “blackmail” accusations

It seems that having a TMZ moment is all the rage in the hard rock scene right about now. Between Bill Ward/Black Sabbath feud, Queensryche split, and Black Country Communion falling out, popcorn afficionados are getting thoroughly entertained. Now, a band that has been defunct for a good 15 years decided to add their own drop to the bucket.

In a recent Blackmore’s Night interview Candice Night said that Rainbow demise was caused by two members of the band (not the drummer and not the keyboard player, which leaves Doogie White and Greg Smith on the hook) tried to “blackmail” Blackmore for extra money.

In his interview to Blabbermouth Doogie White spoke in an attempt to set the records straight:

In the 16 years or so since I left Rainbow, I have never spoken publicly about my reasons for leaving. The truth is that I don’t believe it’s anyone’s business but Ritchie’s and mine.

It was therefore with some interest (and a raised eyebrow or two) that I listened to the interview given by Candy on WRCN. I have to say that her version of events came as a surprise to say the least.

If interested, read more on Blabbermouth.

Aww, I miss the days when messrs Blackmore and White were able to communicate more like this:

Thanks to Classic Rock for the info.



22 Comments to “Doogie White responds to “blackmail” accusations”:

  1. 1
    kraatzy says:

    A very nice and very interesting interview …

    … with some unpleasant hard realities about (… a couple of band members… not the keyboard player and not the drummer…) about money and contracts …

    I don´t know, whoever they mean, but if you remember, there were also a Bass Player and a Singer …

    And not long ago, Candice tell the same story in an other interview, the bass player disclaimed this story.
    And now the singer disclaimed this (his) part of that interview.

    And special: No commend from the others (the drummer and the keyboarder) !!!

    And now THE question: IS THIS TRUE or NOT ???
    I believe, it´s true.

    Very interesting interview …

    LLRnR

    -kraatzy-

  2. 2
    Chip says:

    Blackmore having a falling out with a band member. That never happens….

  3. 3
    kraatzy says:

    Thank you Doogie,
    thank you Greg,
    for ending Rainbw before we get a another great new Rainbow (Studio) album after
    “Stranger in us All” .

    LLRnR

    kraatzy

  4. 4
    purplepriest1965 says:

    This is ofcourse an old YT.

    I revisited it due to your thread.

    Forgot about it but…..

    GYPSY and SOLDIER FORTUNE sung by Glenn Hughes?!
    That is what Ritchie says here.

    Doogie : No, just Gypsy….

    ?????

    Both DC and Glenn sing this song.

    Humor?

  5. 5
    Roberto says:

    I’m on the “White side”…and it could be a better day after all this bad talking with another “Rainbow” in the sky…

  6. 6
    kraatzy says:

    The origin release of the first interview with Blackmore´s Night with involve the indiscreetly allegations of the Rainbow splitting in 1997 was in the “Fireworks Issue 53 – Sept/Oct 2012”.
    🙁
    That was the reason, Greg Smith responds on Facebook: There’s a recent interview with a certain wife of a certain famous guitarist I played with that paints the band in a very bad light… Those of you who may know what and who I’m talking about, please know that the things she says in this interview are completely false and WAY out of line.. I’ve NEVER gone public with what ACTUALLY went down… The fact that they have gone there with 1/2 truths and lies makes me want to go public… I’m on the fence… More to come…
    🙁

    Not funny. But true.

    LLRnR

    kraatzy

  7. 7
    Anthony says:

    Its hard to believe that Doogie blackmailed Ritchie. He comes across as a nice guy in various interviews I have saw and doesn’t haved a bad thing to say about Ritchie. There was probably some big mis-understanding and with Candice and possisbly her mum around things spiralled.

    Rainbow made a solid album ‘Stranger in us All’ and Doogie was a great singer for the band at the time. Saw them at the Hammersmith Odeon in ’95 ( first night ) and it was fabulous. A real pity it didnt continue but sure what can ya do.

  8. 8
    buttockss says:

    Doggie and schenker (mike) will be putting out a new live dvd concert of classic rock songsof the 80’s with schenker (rudolph) mikes bigger brother in comming weeks.

  9. 9
    Richard Woodhouse says:

    Well, She has obviously been around the Man in Black too long. If you look at his history with Singers in his various endeavors. Its more than likely, that the problems are with Him. He has many times talked about how bored he gets with people, especially Singers. A great musician, but as a person, He comes off as a bit selfish. People who agreed to work with Him knew his reputation going in, so really no harm, no foul.

  10. 10
    Moreblack says:

    This is Rock n Roll

  11. 11
    Tracy (Zero the Hero) Heyder says:

    I have this and the whole segment on video…. really good stuff. They play and sing, “Hey OJ” to the tune of ‘Hey Joe’. Poking fun at OJ Simpson while he was in trial for his wife’s murder…. “Hey OJ, where ya going with that knife in your hand”. “I’m going down to hack up my old lady, caught her messing with another man”…….

    Classic stuff.

    CheerZ

  12. 12
    HZ says:

    What a good chemistry (music-wise 🙂 ) between 2 of them. Shame Ritchie did only one album with Doogie, shame he dissolved this Rainbow incarnation (“Stranger” was really good album).

    Roger gave best explanation for Ritchie’s behavior, he said as if God “pointed finger” on Ritchie and told you’ll have something special from me, this huge talent and ingenuity, nobody like you, but with it comes weirdness, and being so weird is his way of dealing with what he has. I’m paraphrasing Roger, it’s somewhere in his interview in “People of Deep Purple” or something like that, part of tv show on classic rock bands…

    He is eccentric indeed, so good, genius on guitar, but getting angry for trivial things, turning back on his gargantuan rock opus and playing medieval folk-rock, being great in it as well, I mean…

  13. 13
    purplepriest1965 says:

    @ 8

    And Michael is NOW working on new material with DON DOKKEN, 1 of the great singers on STARS, the aid project managed by Ronnie Dio.

  14. 14
    mk says:

    I think that RB is too oppressive for everyone he has around him…RJ Dio once told that RB had stolen a lot of money to him as royalties and so I think that DW was on the right side to control his business from RB managing … What can CN say ? She wasnot there

  15. 15
    peter chrisp says:

    Only one album with Doogie, that’s all.

  16. 16
    purplepriest1965 says:

    ” 15

    Then again……

    Were you? : )

  17. 17
    purplepriest1965 says:

    I meant ofcourse 14

  18. 18
    purrfect stranger says:

    Singers and guitarists are so much the same and at the same time so different. Cant live with them cant live without them. No comment on Candice though, this medieval music thing has gone on for it seems like centuries.

  19. 19
    purplepriest1965 says:

    The irony of so many things.
    Blackmore once said that Paul McCartney was wasting time, making music for children(….)

  20. 20
    Brian Stephen says:

    Doogie had already stated in interviews that when Ritchie said he was going to tour on the heels of Shadow of the Moon and maybe return to Rainbow afterwards.The rest of the band were offered retainers (albeit, less money money) to stay on as members of Rainbow and not get involved with anything else until BN had run it’s course. Doogie chose not to accept the offer and decided to move on. That is probably why Candice had said that it was the singer and bass players fault without mentioning names. They declined the offers to stay on. No one can really blame them for moving on. It was just their decision to decline and not wait around for Ritchie to make up his mind. Candice was not wrong in saying that, it just depends on how you interpret her statement.

  21. 21
    patricio says:

    “I remember very clearly the conversation Ritchie and I had outside his dressing room that night after the show, and I remember the reasons why I did not sign that hastily reworked contract there and then. Those reasons are as valid today as they were on my return to London after the show (I returned to London on my own incidentally and did not, as has been suggested in the same interview, arrive at the plane the next day drunk with another band member). Those reasons are between Ritchie and I, they have remained private for many years, and they will remain so for many more, despite this silliness.

    “For the record, Ritchie always treated me fairly. I got paid what I was contracted to get paid; whether it was publishing, performance fees or merchandise payments and I never had any issues or problems with him.

    Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/doogie-white-sets-record-straight-regarding-his-departure-from-rainbow/#CdWiMfCgvqAmwJru.99

  22. 22
    LRT says:

    Strike any insistence a band go back out and he dismantle it himself, after him doing so by design all those years in the first place. Blame comes around the opposite, sooner or later. Still can’t debate or even attempt to dog an actual band leader, it’s the sort of crap that doesn’t roll uphill.

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