Bradley Nowell's Family Contests the Use of the Name "Sublime"

Last spring, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, the two surviving members of 90's SoCal sensations Sublime, resurfaced and featured a new guitarist and vocalist named Rome Ramirez. The few secret shows that the group played were very well received by audience members, but many felt uneasy about the group reforming under the name Sublime. Sublime was originally masterminded by guitarist and lead singer Bradley Nowell, but the band broke up when Nowell tragically passed away in 1996 and since then, nobody has played under the name until now. The current reincarnation of Sublime is set to play on Saturday at Cypress Hill's 2009 Smokeout in San Bernadino, CA, but they may not be doing it under their intended name. Nowell's family (also the owners of his estate) have asked Wilson and Gaugh to find another name for their new group. Today, they issued the following statement:

It was recently announced that Sublime bassist Eric Wilson and Sublime drummer Floyd ‘Bud’ Gaugh are ‘reuniting’ and teaming with singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez in a band they intend to call ‘Sublime.’ Prior to his untimely passing, both Bud and Eric acknowledged that Brad Nowell was the sole owner of the name Sublime. It was Brad’s expressed intention that no one use the name Sublime in any group that did not include him, and Brad even registered the trademark ‘Sublime’ under his own name.

As Brad’s heirs, and with the support of his entire family, we only want to respect his wishes and therefore have not consented to Bud and Eric calling their new project ‘Sublime.’ We have always supported Bud and Eric’s musical endeavors and their desire to continue to play Sublime’s music. We wholeheartedly supported Bud, Eric and the many talented members of the Sublime posse that formed the Long Beach Dub All-Stars, soon after Brad’s death, to honor him through their original recordings, live performances and Sublime music until they disbanded in 2001. But, out of respect for Brad’s wishes, we have always refused to endorse any group performing as ‘Sublime,’ and now with great reluctance feel compelled to take the appropriate legal action to protect Brad’s legacy.

Our hope is that Brad’s ex-bandmates will respect his wishes and find a new name to perform under, so as to enhance the ‘Sublime’ legacy without the confusion and disappointment that many fans have expressed upon seeing the announcement.

Peace and Love to all,

Troy, Jakob & Jim ‘Papa’ Nowell.

As of right now, Sublime is still set to appear at Saturday's show under the name Sublime. Personally, it is tough for me to pick a side on this one. From Eric and Bud's perspective, not only were they two thirds of the band, but they would definitely fare better with ticket sales if they had the ability to use the name Sublime. From the other perspective, Nowell was also responsible for writing and singing all of Sublime's tunes. Nowell's family also seems extremely reluctant to taking such actions and are very supportive of Wilson and Gaugh's musical careers.
Just my 2 cents.
Also, if you haven't heard this new guy Rome play with the band, they kinda rock together. Take a peak at the video. Unfortunately, embedding is disabled on most videos of them, so if you'd like to watch, click HERE.