Gwar have been accused of stealing late frontman Dave Brockie’s remains and trying to capitalise on his death.
In a lawsuit filed by the singer’s father William Brockie, the band are also said to have failed to pay Brockie’s estate what it’s owed for his final tour with the group. It also alleges they stole his bass guitars, artwork and other personal items including a gold record and that they attempted to take control of his estate from William Brockie.
The singer – also known as Oderus Urungus – died of a heroin overdose on March 23, 2014, at the age of 50.
NBC News reports that the lawsuit was filed last Thursday in a state circuit court in Richmond, Virginia. William Brockie, the administrator of the singer’s estate, is suing the band for $1 million in compensatory damages as well as for alleged breach of contract and unauthorised use of Dave Brockie’s image. The lawsuit also demands the return of Brockie’s cremated remains.
The band’s surviving members are named as defendants, along with their management company, Slave Pit Inc.
The lawsuit claims that efforts to cash in on the death started the day after Brockie’s passing, when the band’s manager allegedly signed fake paperwork allowing the band to use his name and likeness for merchandising.
It adds that when William Brockie went to retrieve his son’s ashes last year, he was denied entry to the management offices. It adds that he was later handed “a small fraction of his son’s ashes which were delivered in a used plastic bag with Discover credit card logo on it.”
The lawsuit reads: “Immediately after Dave Brockie’s death, the remaining active members of Gwar set out on a course of action to capitalise on the death of Dave Brockie.”
The month after Brockie’s death, Gwar launched a charity foundation in his name.
