Post by Mustang Bass on Jul 7, 2017 8:04:35 GMT
Surviving Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi has claimed the family of his late bandmate Rick Parfitt failed to arrange his funeral – and suggested 'money and ego' played a part in his friend's demise.
Rossi denied claims by the dead rocker's son Rick Jr that his father had been treated 'awfully' by the veteran band.
Speaking for the first time since Parfitt's death aged 68 on Christmas Eve, Rossi said he was still 'lonely' following the departure of the bandmate and 'mucker' he played alongside for half century.
But he claimed 'I wrote most of the songs that were successful', and suggested that while he could handle fame, Parfitt could not and was doomed by trying to live up to a 'wild man of rock' stereotype.
The veteran rocker spoke as he and his fellow surviving band members announced that their Live and Rockin tour, starting in November, would involve electric guitars.
Last year they had to switch to acoustic guitars, because famed long-term cocaine and alcohol abuser Parfitt was so unwell after a heart attack following a show in June that it was deemed better for his health.
In October however Parfitt revealed he was giving up touring for good, then died weeks later.
Now the band have announced that they are going electric again, as well as releasing an album next Thursday.
But Rossi, 68, was keen to respond to criticisms from the family of Parfitt.
Parfitt was working as a holiday camp entertainer when they met at a Butlins, and joined Rossi's band in 1965. Their run of hits began two years later.
Rick Parfitt Jr, 42, had said in April that the lack of a tribute to Parfitt at Quo's first show since his death, in Estonia, 'speaks volumes', going on: 'Dad was treated awfully.'
But Rossi said he was upset to be criticised by Parfitt's son, saying the band had brought his body back to England from Spain, and that his estate was still being paid handsomely.
Speaking from the Wimbledon studio Quo share with the Stereophonics, Rossi said of any suggestion the band mistreated Parfitt, 'It's far from the truth – Rick was on his full money, everything was the same, and still today. We were earning money, and he was being paid. We couldn't do it any other way.
'I can't understand why his boys were saying that, or why someone would tell them that. Rick Jr only had to come to us and ask. We wouldn't do that to Rick.'
Parfitt had been living in Malaga, where he had just separated from his third wife – and Quo ended up flying his body home.
Rossi, a father of eight who lives in Purley, south London, with wife Eileen and his children, said: 'We had to fly him back. I don't know why, there was some procrastination of some sort with the insurance.
'And we also paid for the funeral because his family were dithering somewhat. I said 'There is some responsibility.'
'Ricky was my partner, I do miss him. We've been a duo for so long. And it feels quite lonely at times.
'Even though it might have got fractious at times, I knew where I stood. I don't have that now. It's all very strange.'
Rossi – who no longer sports his famous pony tail and now has short hair – went on: 'We were great friends when it started out.
'It starts out with a band as 'Us against the world'. But you grow older. We all grow up and become independent people.
'Rick was a 'wild child of rock and roll', and in the end I think he tried to live up to this image of this person who was 'wild Ricky Parfitt'.
'But the Rick I knew wasn't like that at all.
'I can see where ego, money and everything else gets to us in the end. And some of us can control it, some of us can't. I don't know.
'He could not see what he had.'
He added that problems between them began after the global success of their biggest hit Rockin All Over the World, released in 1977, and became clear in an airport row in 1981.
Rossi said: 'It all began to change between us after Rocking All Over the World.
'I think it was after the Pope was shot, we were at Nice airport. And Rick said 'I'm fed up being Number Two'.'
He went on: 'We were always a democracy but people always treated me like I was the leader. It was always me they came to.
'And I wrote most of the songs that were successful.'
He added that around the same time he gave up trying to control Parfitt's alcohol and drugs excesses, saying: 'I thought 'that's Rick'.
'Rick had a fabulous voice, then starting doing more of a 'rock' voice.
'He said 'I have to do that – it's rock'.
'Someone was always pulling his insecurities, I think it was a girlfriend. It was sad because he had that special something.'
But he said he and the rest of the band had laughed at Parfitt's claim last October that he was considering some solo work, saying they heard that rather than working on new material he was 'stark naked, on the sofa, watching the snooker'.
New Status Quo album 'The Last Night Of The Electrics' is released July 14, and the the band tour the UK from Nov 26
www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4673000/Francis-Rossi-Status-Quo-paid-Rick-Parfitt-s-funeral.html
Rossi denied claims by the dead rocker's son Rick Jr that his father had been treated 'awfully' by the veteran band.
Speaking for the first time since Parfitt's death aged 68 on Christmas Eve, Rossi said he was still 'lonely' following the departure of the bandmate and 'mucker' he played alongside for half century.
But he claimed 'I wrote most of the songs that were successful', and suggested that while he could handle fame, Parfitt could not and was doomed by trying to live up to a 'wild man of rock' stereotype.
The veteran rocker spoke as he and his fellow surviving band members announced that their Live and Rockin tour, starting in November, would involve electric guitars.
Last year they had to switch to acoustic guitars, because famed long-term cocaine and alcohol abuser Parfitt was so unwell after a heart attack following a show in June that it was deemed better for his health.
In October however Parfitt revealed he was giving up touring for good, then died weeks later.
Now the band have announced that they are going electric again, as well as releasing an album next Thursday.
But Rossi, 68, was keen to respond to criticisms from the family of Parfitt.
Parfitt was working as a holiday camp entertainer when they met at a Butlins, and joined Rossi's band in 1965. Their run of hits began two years later.
Rick Parfitt Jr, 42, had said in April that the lack of a tribute to Parfitt at Quo's first show since his death, in Estonia, 'speaks volumes', going on: 'Dad was treated awfully.'
But Rossi said he was upset to be criticised by Parfitt's son, saying the band had brought his body back to England from Spain, and that his estate was still being paid handsomely.
Speaking from the Wimbledon studio Quo share with the Stereophonics, Rossi said of any suggestion the band mistreated Parfitt, 'It's far from the truth – Rick was on his full money, everything was the same, and still today. We were earning money, and he was being paid. We couldn't do it any other way.
'I can't understand why his boys were saying that, or why someone would tell them that. Rick Jr only had to come to us and ask. We wouldn't do that to Rick.'
Parfitt had been living in Malaga, where he had just separated from his third wife – and Quo ended up flying his body home.
Rossi, a father of eight who lives in Purley, south London, with wife Eileen and his children, said: 'We had to fly him back. I don't know why, there was some procrastination of some sort with the insurance.
'And we also paid for the funeral because his family were dithering somewhat. I said 'There is some responsibility.'
'Ricky was my partner, I do miss him. We've been a duo for so long. And it feels quite lonely at times.
'Even though it might have got fractious at times, I knew where I stood. I don't have that now. It's all very strange.'
Rossi – who no longer sports his famous pony tail and now has short hair – went on: 'We were great friends when it started out.
'It starts out with a band as 'Us against the world'. But you grow older. We all grow up and become independent people.
'Rick was a 'wild child of rock and roll', and in the end I think he tried to live up to this image of this person who was 'wild Ricky Parfitt'.
'But the Rick I knew wasn't like that at all.
'I can see where ego, money and everything else gets to us in the end. And some of us can control it, some of us can't. I don't know.
'He could not see what he had.'
He added that problems between them began after the global success of their biggest hit Rockin All Over the World, released in 1977, and became clear in an airport row in 1981.
Rossi said: 'It all began to change between us after Rocking All Over the World.
'I think it was after the Pope was shot, we were at Nice airport. And Rick said 'I'm fed up being Number Two'.'
He went on: 'We were always a democracy but people always treated me like I was the leader. It was always me they came to.
'And I wrote most of the songs that were successful.'
He added that around the same time he gave up trying to control Parfitt's alcohol and drugs excesses, saying: 'I thought 'that's Rick'.
'Rick had a fabulous voice, then starting doing more of a 'rock' voice.
'He said 'I have to do that – it's rock'.
'Someone was always pulling his insecurities, I think it was a girlfriend. It was sad because he had that special something.'
But he said he and the rest of the band had laughed at Parfitt's claim last October that he was considering some solo work, saying they heard that rather than working on new material he was 'stark naked, on the sofa, watching the snooker'.
New Status Quo album 'The Last Night Of The Electrics' is released July 14, and the the band tour the UK from Nov 26
www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4673000/Francis-Rossi-Status-Quo-paid-Rick-Parfitt-s-funeral.html
Idiot
