Guess Who? Yep… Another Lawsuit.
Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman tour together as The Guess Who for the first time in 23 years! After six decades and a hard-fought battle to reclaim their name, The Guess Who has announced a celebratory Canadian tour for 2026. The tour will be making stops in Moncton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and more, and will feature support from Don Felder (formerly of the Eagles).
The Guess Who’s reunion tour is a huge moment. For the first time in more than 20 years, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings are bringing one of Canada’s most iconic rock catalogues to life again. And to be clear, that’s genuinely cool. The Guess Who are legends for a reason. But… because this is The Guess Who, it didn’t take long for things to get complicated.
Just days after the tour kicked off in Niagara Falls, founding drummer Garry Peterson and longtime bassist James Kale filed a new lawsuit against music rights organization BMI, claiming they lost millions of dollars after being shut out of the band’s licensing catalogue. The issue centres around Cummings pulling The Guess Who’s songs out of BMI’s licensing system, which reportedly led to cancelled performances and blocked the use of some of the band’s biggest classics.
Peterson and Kale argue BMI mishandled the situation and enforced restrictions too early, costing them major touring revenue in the process. The lawsuit includes a long list of allegations, from breach of duty to misrepresentation, with the plaintiffs seeking both compensatory and punitive damages. BMI has pushed back, calling the lawsuit meritless and stating their actions were based on information provided through SOCAN.
At this point, The Guess Who’s legacy feels almost inseparable from the ongoing tug-of-war over who controls the name, the music, and the history. It’s a little exhausting, sure, but it doesn’t change the fact that this band helped define an era of Canadian rock. Let’s just hope the next headlines can stay focused on their incredible songs, not the lawsuits.
