Not Selling Out Or Going Out Of Business... Thin Lizzy Set To Reopen Under New Ownership

After appearing on NBC's Saturday live this past weekend one must wonder how many of the millions tuning in physically asked, "Paul McCartney was once a Beatle? Who is Wings?" John Mellencamp isn't just famous for his middle American brand of rough six strings and harmonies but having to endure three solo name changes during a single lifetime: John Cougar, John Cougar Mellencamp and then just John Mellencamp. The only thing Rod Stewart changes is wives. Paul Stanley of KISS flat out undeniably calls music a business. What are businesses most famous for? Changing their identity and name. One shouldn't be too upset then about Thin Lizzy wanting to dig up their roots and plant an entirely new set of seeds. Classic Rock Magazine reveals the band will reveal their new name and details of their upcoming album over the Christmas period, frontman Ricky Warwick has said. The latest incarnation of the band announced their decision to retire Phil Lynott’s title after having recorded a record of new material. They haven’t yet told fans the name they’ll use – but that’s about to change. Warwick says via Facebook: “A massive thanks to all fans who have supported Thin Lizzy for the last two years. It’s been the biggest honour and privilege of my life to be part of this. “Stay tuned for big announcements on Christmas on the album and new band name. 2013 is gonna be a very busy year!” Meanwhile, guitarist Damon Johnson has hinted at some of the reasons behind the change, saying that original members Scott Gorham and Brian Downey had struggled over the subject for some time. He tells Metal Express Radio: “There’s other bands out there that are established with new lead singers and different members of the band. They’ve made new music without their most famous lineup. “We thought for a while that’s exactly what we were going to do, and the songs were written under that umbrella – ‘We’ve got to make a Thin Lizzy record.’ That raised the bar incredibly high. “It was a question for Brian and Scott all along. We’re grateful for the massive support we’ve got from Phil’s family, his widow and his daughters. They’ve been very supportive of everything that Thin Lizzy has done, particular since Ricky joined. But I know they expressed some concern about the concept of brand-new original material. I get it, man, I totally get it. “Once we made that decision it took a lot of pressure off. It took a lot of pressure off Ricky.” Johnson believes that fans looking for songs that connect with the band’s classic era won’t be disappointed. “Phil’s such a part of these new songs,” he says. “We felt, let’s make the record, put it out under a different name – and let the fans know this is Thin Lizzy 2013 under a different name. “People who are passionate about the sound that Thin Lizzy has, they’re gonna get a lot of that classic sound with this new record.”