American Version Of THE SWEET Fires Back At ANDY SCOTT: 'Enough Of This Bullying'

In a new interview with Remzi "Jam Man" Yates of Rocking With Jam Man, bassist Stevie Stewart and drummer Richie Onori spoke about their involvement with THE SWEET — the five-member group which obtained the rights to use the name and perform in the U.S. and Canada under THE SWEET banner despite containing no members from the original SWEET lineup.

Formed in the United Kingdom in 1968, the original SWEET lineup featured Brian Connolly on lead vocals and Steve Priest on bass and backing vocals, drummer Mick Tucker and guitarist Frank Torpey, who was succeeded by Mick Stewart and, later, by Andy Scott. Priest relocated to Los Angeles and, in January 2008, launched a new incarnation of SWEET. Before he died, Priest had the right to use the SWEET name in the U.S. and Canada, whereas Andy Scott toured a version of the group in the U.K. The pair were estranged for decades, but resumed contact in the 2010s.

After the passing of Connelly (in 1997) and Tucker (in 2002),Priest carried on the SWEET moniker with a fresh lineup that he felt possessed the talent, feel and high energy of classic SWEET. Priest's lineup was embraced by the fans, playing hundreds of concerts across the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, and many other countries around the world for well over a decade until Priest himself passed away in 2020. Shortly after, it was decided that THE SWEET should continue onward — currently with a lineup consisting of frontman Patrick Alan Stone, guitarist Jimmy Burkard, keyboardist Dave Schulz, Stewart and Onori — as they were asked to carry on by Priest.

Asked by Rocking With Jam Man to name one thing that people consistently get wrong about Priest's version of THE SWEET and the current version of the group, Richie said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think the first thing is that Steve was the founder, along with Brian and Mick Tucker. So that's the first thing. And a lot of people don't really realize that the careers that Stevie and I both had before we met Steve Priest. So we're part of the lineage, we feel, of the whole situation. But to answer that question, Steve was excited to really come out what he believed. He just was not happy with the way things were rolling with... He was asked to partner up with Andy again, and he didn't wanna do that. He didn't like the way it was being represented. So he enlisted us. And so that's the bottom line, is that right before he passed, he was just excited that we carried the torch, just like LYNYRD SKYNYRD and a lot of bands are. So there's always gonna be those opinions. But we're past that now, we're past that hump. 20 years of doing this, there's really no need to talk about controversy. Our fans don't have a lot of controversy. You're always gonna get haters on that, and they're entitled to their own opinion, but we're way past that. We've got an incredible band together and we carry the torch for SWEET, and we're excited about it. And there's really not too many versions [of SWEET]. You've got Andy [touring with his version of SWEET] overseas and you've got our version that handles a very big area to carry on the torch, uh, for the incredible band, THE SWEET."

Regarding how Stewart and Onori were chosen by Priest to represent SWEET in the new version of the group, Richie said: "Basically, I was working with Keith Emerson at the time when I played with Steve. It was a charity event. And at that charity event, I played with Slash and Steve Lukather and Keith Emerson. I was in a band, and Bobby Kimball was there and everybody. And so we were already well-known musicians. So that was a big thing for Steve. And then, of course, with Stevie, I'll let Stevie answer the question with what he was doing and why Steve chose really to make us partners, because that's what we are. We're partners in the brand, along with the family. Go ahead, Stevie."

Stevie chimed in: "Yeah, we were brought in as partners. Steve, he wanted high-caliber musicians. He wanted people that were gonna represent not only the brand and the songs, but to move forward with it, with having it really in your heart. That's what we do. We bring these songs to people the way it needs to be done. And it's really simple: if you wanna come and see the songs get played, we're who you wanna see."

Asked if Priest ever sat down with either one of them, while he was still alive, to explicitly talk about what he wanted to happen to his version of SWEET after he was gone, Stewart said: "Well, he never thought he was gonna die, so he didn't talk about that. Up until the time that we went to do a show in Minneapolis in the middle of the winter, and he came home with a really severe case of pneumonia, he went in the hospital, he was on a respirator for six months until he passed away. So there was very little time for any discussion of what the future of the band was gonna be. We all just knew what it was anyway. It was, we were bandmates, we were partners, we were SWEET."

Asked about Andy Scott's recent comment that having a version of SWEET continuing in America without anybody from the classic lineup "really isn't right", Richie said: "We have the name. We had that area. Steve did want us to continue on. He did bring that up to me the last time I saw him, and he wanted this to be represented because this was the band that he put together. So, Andy's up there, and he's very limited where he's playing — he's mainly doing Germany and so forth — so I don't see what the big rub is for us to... [As] a matter of fact, I think it's an incredible thing, and it actually promotes his brand as well. We're over here doing our thing, he does it there. We're not really stepping on him. I don't see what the big rub is."

Stewart also addressed Scott's comment that Priest "did something very stupid" by forming a trust with Steve's family, thus enabling Priest's wife's to "now run a little band called THE SWEET in America". Stewart said: "[Priest's] family trust was in place for years. They have their own assets. They've been very successful, he and his wife. And the family trust is just simply — I have one with my family. All it is, it's a very ironclad form of a will, a form of a family trust. Everything belongs in the trust, and what it does is it keeps you out of probate court when you die. So the trust has very little to do with anything other than protecting his family and the brand of SWEET, which he owns the name for, and the family trust owns the name and licensed it with us, and that's the decision. It didn't come lightly. We didn't just decide this one second after Steve passed away. It took a long time for us to even get to that discussion. We lost a dear friend. And personally, I'm happy Andy plays. I wish him all the best. I hope his health is well. And that's great. But this is a time in life when the classic rock band people, they're not getting younger. They're passing away left and right, and if people wanna continue to enjoy listening to the way that this music, all the classic rock music, is supposed to be played and done, and you're guaranteed to have a good time and a great representation of the music, then this is what's happening with lots of bands, not just SWEET."

Stewart continued: "If Andy's got some kind of a chip on his shoulder, that's his own problem. We're not out to try to make any enemies. We're not out to try to outdo anybody. All we wanna do is play these songs the best we can and go continue collecting more fans. And it only does good for everybody involved, from the original members and their families and their family trusts, because if we don't go out there and play, the music dies. It's that simple."

Elaborating on the decision to carry on as THE SWEET after Priest's passing, Richie said: "We became partners. The only reason I decided to join SWEET is because I was… I had a great career going. I was in a lot of different things. I had many projects. And Steve thought I was on a very high level. He came out of retirement, and when he offered me a partnership, and then Stevie following, we said, 'Okay.' We're gonna be a partnership with his band. And that's the only reason we did it, and we've invested all these years into this. So it's investing, and we've gone a career path — not saying that we don't do a lot of other things, but SWEET is a big part, and we just love the music. And we really honor Steve. And we really believe 100% in the music, and we just love doing the show. And the fans love it, too. We don't hear anything, when we play for thousands and thousands of people, and millions over the years, people stand in line to meet us because they're just anxious. It's all about us and participating in the future of SWEET."

After Yates noted that Scott recently said that Andy's version of SWEET could still tour America, albeit possibly under the "UK SWEET" moniker, in order to differentiate the band from the U.S.-based version of SWEET, Richie said: "Hey, STARSHIP is doing it right now with Mickey Thomas and the other STARSHIP. I mean, have at it. That's fine. But we don't have that. [Andy's] across the Atlantic, and he does Australia, and we do Canada a lot. And God bless him, man. Come on over. It might create confusion. But he's got a huge... I mean, let's face it, Germany and parts of Europe was the biggest SWEET stronghold over in Europe, and he keeps busy with a lot of shows over there, so there you go.

"I don't know where you're getting all this information [about what Andy is saying about us]," Richie continued. "I haven't seen the interviews. It sounds like he's really taking things personally again now. And we let the years, of 20 years, just roll off of us. He sounds like he's upset, if that's what you're reporting to us."

Asked if they would be open to meeting with Andy in person, without any lawyers present, to discuss the situation, Richie said: "There's no lawyers in the first place, and there's no issue with trademark. There's nothing to go over on that. That's already a solid thing. Go ahead, Stevie. I'll let you take it up from here."

Stevie chimed in: "Yeah, there is no legal issue whatsoever. We are legally allowed to use the SWEET brand. And since Richie and I had put all those years in, and people know that we were there with Steve, and as a matter of fact, Steve and I were very, very close. I did everything in my power to try to help him in his career and help this band move forward, and I still do. And so there is no dispute regarding lawyers or anybody suing anybody for anything. There isn't anything anybody can sue anything for, If there starts to become some kinds of slander, that's another story. But we got no problem, man."

Richie also talked about some of the criticism that has been leveled at the U.S. version of SWEET for not containing any members of the classic lineup. Richie said: "Well, there's not much argument. We don't get a lot of argument. I don't know where you get a lot of this information from. We don't have a lot of people basically in our face, and if they do, we just take them off social media because there's a lot of people that have their opinion, and they have the right to that opinion. Like Michael Cartellone from LYNYRD SKYNYRD. There's no original members. Just like when I went to see FOREIGNER, with no original members, at the Hollywood Bowl. The audience loves the music. That's all fans should be concerned with. They say, 'Wow, they are really keeping that name, those songs that we loved.' But in Europe, people are upset, and because Andy's still moving along. And let's face it, he was the third guitarist, even though he was the main guitarist for pretty much all the big stuff that happened. Still, Steve loved us. We had a super-tight relationship. After he passed, it took a little bit of time to think about, to re-establish, but we came to that decision. And it's not about us being swayed by anybody, and it's not like we go to bed and go, 'Oh, God, there's an argument going on.' We don't think like that. We don't think like that at all. We're not thinking that way."

Richie continued: "We're musicians that were also very well known, played with the top musicians. I played with [Richie] Sambora, Keith Emerson — I go down the list from [Ronnie James] Dio to everybody you can imagine. So what I've established all the years of playing, people should recognize that just because I play in SWEET, I have my own identity, and so does Stevie. Stevie played with the biggest names before we met Steve Priest. So instead of being grateful, we're not just unknowns. Maybe possibly — I don't know the guys in Andy's band, I don't know how big those names are, but we do have a track record, and that's what really matters. So people should recognize that, that we are already well-established musicians. And just be grateful for us carrying the torch. And if Andy wants to come over here, God bless him. Have at it, dude. Come on over. But what's this big competition going on? I don't see what the big deal is. He doesn't come over here. He hasn't been here for 25 years."

Referencing some of Andy's negative comments directly, Richie said: "I mean, why create this? Is this a bully thing? In our society, there's bullies, okay? And to all of a sudden somebody being jealous… I mean, if he thought we were that bad, you know, then he could bring that up. But if you see us playing and you see us delivering the goods, it's gonna be real hard to criticize because we bring it on. So enough of this bullying, enough of that. There's no legal contention for this. Let bygones be bygones. I mean, if we were gonna do the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and he couldn't bring his band over here, would we get together with Andy and play our version with him? Absolutely. We have nothing against this guy. So, it's what a lot of the press wants to do — they wanna create a big hassle. Most of the interviews we do have been really great. And people don't ask these kind of questions about the everything and the controversy. We don't get this. This is the first time I've heard these kind of hard questions that you're laying out here, except I did one other one... But no — uh-uh. We play, they hire us, we play big gigs, we play for tens of thousands of people. People love it. So, enough of this crap. Enough of this. The world's already divided enough. We don't need to be taken to task about that we're... It's only the jealous musicians that don't play in front of tens of thousands that they might have that opinion. But if that's their opinion, God bless them. Good for them. They have every right to express themselves. It's a free world, hopefully."

Andy Scott (guitars/vocals) is joined in his version of SWEET by Paul Manzi (lead vocals),Lee Small (bass guitar/vocals),Tom Cory (guitars/keys/vocals) and Adam Booth (drums/percussion).

The Scott-led version of SWEET released a new studio album, "Full Circle", in September 2024 via Metalville Records. According to a press release, the LP will be SWEET's final studio album ever.

The U.S. version of THE SWEET has released three singles in the last couple of years: "Little Miracle" in 2024, "Insane" in 2025, and "Sweet Dream" — a song that has been in the group archives and on which Steve Priest wrote and played bass and sang — in February 2026.

Andy Scott's SWEET will return for "The Final Blitz Tour" of Australia in October and November 2026.

As one of Britain's true rock treasures, SWEET became a phenomenon in Australia, racking up 13 Top 50 Australian singles, including two Number Ones.

SWEET has sold a staggering 55 million records worldwide.