The uncertainty didn’t last long. Just days after John Corabi admitted he had no idea whether he was still a member of The Dead Daisies, the question has been answered — the former Mötley Crüe frontman has left the band, closing out his second run with the hard rock collective.
The Dead Daisies confirmed the split in a statement issued to Blabbermouth on Tuesday night, July 14: “It has come to our attention that John Corabi has decided to leave The Dead Daisies. We’d like to sincerely thank John for his incredible contribution to the band over the years and wish him nothing but success with his solo career and all his future endeavors.”
The exit lands barely a week after Corabi aired his confusion publicly. Speaking with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the “Rock Interview Series” to promote his new solo album New Day, out in April via Frontiers Music Srl, he described being left in the dark by the band’s management.
“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 at the time.
“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 reunion at the center of all this took place under the name The Purple Daisies. On May 30, 2026 at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois, Hughes rejoined guitarist Doug Aldrich, drummer Tommy Clufetos and Lowy for a two-part set that split evenly between The Dead Daisies material and Deep Purple classics. The sold-out show went over well enough that a second The Purple Daisies date has since been booked for October 2, 2026 at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California — a run that increasingly looks like the band’s forward direction.
There’s a familiar rhythm to all of this. Hughes originally left The Dead Daisies in May 2023 after four years, at which point Corabi returned for his second stint. His first ran from early 2015 to January 2019 and produced three studio albums — Revolución (2015), Make Some Noise (2016) and Burn It Down (2018) — before he stepped aside the first time to make way for Hughes, who went on to appear on 2021’s Holy Ground and 2022’s Radiance.
Corabi, for his part, isn’t slowing down. He’s currently touring behind New Day with his band John Corabi & Friends, and by his own account remains proud of the record and content with where he’s at. The Dead Daisies, meanwhile, are planning an extensive European and U.S. tour in 2027, following their 2024 original-material album Light ‘Em Up and last year’s blues covers set Lookin’ For Trouble.
