Singer John Corabi has been left guessing about his own standing in The Dead Daisies, admitting that he and bassist Michael Devin genuinely don’t know whether they’re still part of the band. The former Mötley Crüe frontman laid out the confusion in a new interview, and it stems directly from the group’s recent reunion shows with a previous singer.
Talking with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the “Rock Interview Series“, Corabi was asked whether he’ll keep recording and touring with The Dead Daisies now that his solo album New Day, released in April via Frontiers Music Srl, is out. His answer was refreshingly blunt.
“I’m not sure, dude, because, to be quite honest with you, I don’t know what is going on with that band right now. Michael [Devin] and I are just kind of sitting here scratching our heads, because… Last year when I told [The Dead Daisies management] I got this record deal, I told them, ‘Hey, I signed a deal with Frontiers. I’m gonna do a solo album.’ And they were, like, ‘Okay, cool.’ And then later, the manager was, like, ‘You know what? Actually, we’re gonna take a year off. David‘s [Lowy, The Dead Daisies founder and rhythm guitarist] gonna go hang with his dad. So knock yourself out. You got a whole year to finish your record and go promote it,'” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
By his account, the green light to focus on solo work came with the understanding that the band itself was pausing. Then the picture got murky when The Dead Daisies quietly came back to life around a one-off show with former frontman Glenn Hughes.
“And then we’re on tour, and then all of a sudden it’s like they’re doing a show with [previous The Dead Daisies frontman] Glenn Hughes, who I adore, so don’t read anything into that. I love Glenn Hughes. But it’s, like, then they release a [live] record that it was from a show that we did on the last tour. They released the record, like, one week after mine, and I’m, like, ‘I don’t even know what’s going on right now.’”
Corabi was careful to stress there’s no friction between him and Hughes, keeping his frustration squarely on the mixed signals rather than the man who replaced him. Ultimately, he’s decided not to lose sleep over it.
“So Michael and I are, like, ‘Are we still employed by The Daisies or…?’ I don’t even know what’s going on. But I’m not worried about it. I’m just, like, ‘You know what? Whatever.’ I’m very happy doing what I’m doing, and I’m very proud of the record that I just delivered.”
The shows at the center of the confusion took place under the banner The Purple Daisies. Hughes reunited with The Dead Daisies on May 30, 2026 at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois, joining guitarist Doug Aldrich, drummer Tommy Clufetos and founder David Lowy for a two-part set split between The Dead Daisies material and Deep Purple classics. That sold-out show went over so well that a second The Purple Daisies date was announced for October 2, 2026 at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California.
The timeline underlines why Corabi‘s in limbo. Hughes originally spent four years in The Dead Daisies before leaving in May 2023, at which point Corabi, who’d first fronted the band from 2015 to 2019, cutting three albums with them, returned for his second stint. Now the band appears to be leaning back toward the Hughes era, at least for these special performances, while Corabi keeps his focus on the road with his own project, John Corabi & Friends, behind New Day.
