After months of negotiations, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings of the iconic Canadian rock band The Guess Who are pleased to announce the resolution of their long-running dispute with fellow former band mates Garry Peterson and Jim Kale following a lawsuit filed in October 2023.
Though details of the settlement remain confidential, terms include acquisition of the “The Guess Who” trademark by Bachman and Cummings. Having now settled the long-standing trademark dispute, Bachman, Cummings, Kale, and Peterson – all of whom are Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees as members of The Guess Who, with Bachman and Cummings two-time inductees for their work with Bachman-Turner Overdrive and as a solo artist, respectively – have expressed their appreciation to one another in a spirit of unity going forward.
“We are pleased to have reached a resolution that honors our shared history and allows us to move forward with a new sense of purpose and camaraderie,” says Randy Bachman.
“We are committed to preserving and celebrating the legacy for our fans around the world,” says Burton Cummings.
Hailed by The Toronto Star as “the greatest band in Canadian history,” The Guess Who emerged out of Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1965 and went on to international success through the next decade with an impressive catalogue of songs including “These Eyes,” “No Time,” and the chart-topping “American Woman.” During the course of its legendary career, the band released 11 studio albums, with 1970’s American Woman – recorded with the classic lineup of Bachman, Cummings, Kale and Peterson – reaching #1 in Canada and the top 10 in the United States. The Guess Who charted more than thirty Top 40 singles in Canada along with 14 in the US, including “American Woman” which went all the way to #1.
The classic lineup of The Guess Who reconvened at various times over the years, including a series of shows captured on 1984’s live album, Together Again! (known as The Best of The Guess Who – Live! in the United States). In 1999, the band performed at the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am Games at Winnipeg Stadium at the personal behest of the Premier of Manitoba.
The Guess Who have been bestowed with a wide array of honors in their home country. In addition to their 1987 induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the band were given a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2001 while in 2002, the band received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Bachman and Cummings were represented by Helen Yu of Yu Lesberg, James Weinberger of Fross Zelnick, and James Sammataro of Pryor Cashman. Garry Peterson and Jim Kale were represented by Jonathan Weiss and Jeff Warshafsky of Proskauer.
