Drummer Sues Eddie Money For Being World’s Worst Boss
According to his former drummer, the ’80s-vintage rock hitmaker Eddie Money is a real piece of shit. Last year, drummer Glenn Symmonds was fired from Money’s band — or, rather, the band was disbanded, but everyone besides Symmonds rejoined Money within a few months. And Symmonds says he’s out of the band for two reasons: His disabilities, which Money liked to mock onstage, and his fiancee, who Money liked to sexually harass.
Billboard reports that Symmonds is filing a wrongful-termination suit against Money. He says he was fired for his age and for physical disabilities, which were caused by a back injury and a fight against bladder cancer. During shows, Symmonds says that Money would make jokes at his expense, doing things like saying the band’s tour was sponsored by Depends because Symmonds’ chemotherapy rendered him incontinent.
And Symmonds also claims that Money would routinely harass Tami Landrum, Symmonds’ fiancee. He says Money “repeatedly made sexual comments to her and often tried to kiss her on the mouth.” He also mentions one show where Money wiggled his hips at Landrum, unzipped his fly, and then pushed his thumb through it so that it would look like a dick — as well as another, where he pretended his microphone was a dick and then hit Landrum in the face with it. The final straw came during an argument between Money and Landrum, when Money dragged Landrum into a bathroom and wouldn’t let her leave.
Meanwhile, an attorney for Money claims that Symmonds was not asked to joint the band because, when Money told his band members that he wanted to spend a summer touring with his kids as his backing band, Symmonds and Landrum both responded by making angry social-media posts and by leaving voicemails for concert promoters telling them not to pay Money. The lawyer also says, “Plaintiffs are shameless scammers looking to shake down Eddie because he is a celebrity.”
Whatever the case, it’s clear that Eddie Money has two tickets to, um, a courtroom. (I’m sorry. I don’t know very many Eddie Money songs.)
UPDATE: Eddie Money has shared a lengthy statement regarding the lawsuit on Facebook, calling Symmonds’ claims “preposterous” and “downright evil”:
Gang …..it is what it is……The price of fame, unfortunately, is that you get abused a lot by people you thought you could trust, in this case my former drummer and his girlfriend. I’ve been through lots in my life. I know I’ve had my bouts with alcohol and drugs in the past , but due to the ” Grace of God”, a spiritual program , and the love and respect I receive every day from my beautiful and caring wife, my fantastic children and the close friends and wonderful fans I have in this world, I’ve kicked all that years ago and I have the inner strength to deal with people out to take advantage of me.
Glenn Symmonds and his girlfriend are trying to damage my reputation not only as a professional entertainer, but as a husband and a father. Having something like that happen to you is like the Twilight Zone, so preposterous and downright evil. How am I supposed to stop somebody from hurting my wife and children?
I raised thousands of dollars to help Glenn beat his bladder cancer and I was proud , along with the band, to do it. I know how tough that disease is. My mother died of cancer. I am glad that Glenn is healthy and I wish him well. But I wish he and his girlfriend would no longer assault me and my family with malicious falsehoods that impugn my integrity in an effort to make money for themselves through a bogus lawsuit. Glenn was never fired because he is old or was ill, neither were any of the rest of the guys who have played in my band over the years. I guess Glenn is upset because I took a short break and used my son’s band for a month or so in order for him to gain the exposure he needed and deserved and to creatively do something a bit different. By the way, Julian is one great drummer and I love having his sound in the band. I believe I have the right to have who I want in my band. And I don’t believe my former drummer can dictate to me how I present my music to my fans.
Seeing that he has no case for wrongful termination, Glenn has put his girlfriend up to making crazy accusations that I sexually harassed her. For Glenn to say I hit on his girlfriend and detained her in an open-doored dressing room at the DTE Energy Music Theater near Detroit, or anywhere else, is showing everybody who is aware of this situation as our witnesses how fraudulent their accusations are. It only goes to show that there are bad people in this world. As for my wife, I love Laurie dearly and would for no reason hurt or disappoint her.
The truth will come out. They say that lies travel around the world twice before the truth puts on its sneakers. Eventually, Laurie and I will put this behind us and never have to think about these two people again. The Lord says “Forgive and forget “. It’s going to be tough, but will do.