Tommy Lee must suffer from a case of bad judgment. Or at least bad taste.
Last week, organizers for Ozzfest announced that the former Motley Crue drummer and current solo artist/band leader is slated to fill in the vacancy left by Drowning Pool, after the band withdrew from the outdoor music event following the death of lead singer Dave Williams. (Williams, 30, died of unknown causes in the back of the band's tour bus on Aug. 18; a memorial service was held last Sunday in his hometown of Plano, Texas.)
While it may be just another gig for Lee, it might be painful for the Veres family.
Last year, 4-year-old Daniel Karven Veres drowned in a swimming pool while attending a birthday party at Lee's Malibu home. After an investigation, police ruled the drowning an accident, but the boy's parents — producer James Veres and actress Ursula Karven — filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in Los Angeles last February charging Lee with negligence.
After all the news reports of the incident and quotes by Lee telling everyone how sad and terrible the youngster's drowning was, perhaps he should have thought twice before accepting this engagement. He'll be connected with the name of the band he's replacing — Drowning Pool — throughout the entire tour.
There will even be banners with Drowning Pool's logo onstage while the various acts are performing — including Lee.
ANOTHER PASSING: Widespread Panic guitarist/founder Michael "Mikey" Houser succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Aug. 10. He was 40.
His last show with the band was July 2, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He pulled out of the rest of the summer tour to get some treatment for his illness and, according to the band's Web Site, hoped to be on the road again in the near future.
A memorial service was held on Aug. 12, in the band's hometown of Athens, Ga.
A few months ago, Widespread Panic released its third live album on Sanctuary Records called "Live in the Classic City." This three-disc package is a highlight of the band's three-day concert run in Athens in 2000.
The jam-band grooves that made Widespread Panic famous are heard through each cut, including "Action Man," "Mercy," "Red Hot Mama" and the trademark "Flat Foot Flewzy."
Houser's guitar rings clear and rides atop the bubbling mix.
Rest easy, man.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com