Former SCORPIONS Guitarist ULI JON ROTH Reportedly Declared Bankrupt

Gareth Morgan of icWales has issued the following report:

A rock star who spent a fortune to become a Lord of the Manor in Wales has been declared bankrupt.

Uli Jon Roth, former lead guitarist with the SCORPIONS, is believed to owe tens of thousands of pounds.

Roth, 54, paid £250,000 (approx. $450,000) for the historic Tan y Bwlch Manor near Aberystwyth eight years ago — it is now likely to be worth around half-a-million pounds. And he had ambitious musical plans for another Welsh property.

But the German-born guitarist, who has played with bands such as DEEP PURPLE, was dropped by his record company EMI and has sunk into financial difficulties. He has been registered bankrupt at the Aberystwyth County Court under his full name Ulrich Hans Joachim Anton Josef Roth.

The Official Receiver in Swansea, Ian Carter, has met Roth to discuss his debts. And it's likely Roth will have to sell his mansion in the West Wales countryside, although a close friend last night said nothing had been decided.

"Uli is in Germany touring at the moment and we have not heard much from him — he does not have a mobile phone," he said. "I know very little about the bankruptcy, but he certainly has not told me that he is going to sell the house."

A spokesman for the Official Receiver's Office said, "We have met this gentleman to discuss his financial situation but we cannot say any more than that."

Roth has lived in the UK for 20 years and spent most of the past decade at the impressive mansion, which lies near the coast close to Aberystwyth harbour.

Local resident Elgan Jones, 28, said, "It is right near the beach in a lovely spot, but it is in the middle of nowhere really.

"People know that he lives there and that he is some kind of musician but a lot of people don't really remember the SCORPIONS, do they? Apart from that one song. They were always bigger in Eastern Europe. Perhaps he liked a bit more privacy here in Wales."

Roth has always kept a low profile, although he does run a recording studio for private sessions only, and has played a gig in Aberyst-wyth. He has also spoken in the past about his desire to keep the peace with natives in West Wales, an area which he says he loves.

"The locals don't need to worry about sex and drugs and televisions crashing through windows or anything like that," said Roth.

"Although I have been in a rock band I pride myself on being outside that circle. I may look like a rock star with my long hair and scruffy clothes but I don't behave like one."

Speaking about Wales, he said, "The people are so friendly and the landscape is breathtaking."

It is unknown how long his financial problems have been brewing.

In 1999 it was reported that Roth had bought a second Welsh mansion, Plas Glynllifon in Gwynedd, then worth £500,000. He also spoke of plans to spend £200,000 on upgrading the gardens and making them suitable for staging classical concerts.

However some time later it emerged that the deal had never been sealed — although the exact reasons were not revealed.

Roth formed the SCORPIONS in the '70s — years before the group went on to have a No.1 hit with "Wind of Change". He quit the band to concentrate on a solo career — turning the work of classical composers into hard rock.

He is about to start a European tour and, according to his website, the first night is a sellout. A friend, who did not want to be named, said, "Uli is going through a difficult time, but he will bounce back."