CKY Bassist Mike Leon Quits, Cites Frontman Chad Ginsburg's 'Toxicity'
Bassist Mike Leon has announced his departure from CKY, citing frontman Chad Ginsburg's "toxicity" and "unprofessionalism." Ginsburg responded, claiming Leon was fired for disliking dogs and demanding more money.
More drama unfolds for CKY. Following BLACKGOLD pulling out of their tour last November due to frontman Chad I Ginsburg's alleged disrespect, bassist Mike Leon, formerly of Soulfly, has announced his departure from the band.
Leon cited Ginsburg's "toxicity" and "unprofessionalism" as the primary reasons for his exit. Ginsburg responded with a video claiming Leon was fired for hating dogs.
"I want to let you know that my time with CKY has come to an end," Leon's statement begins. It continues:
> Growing up, I was a huge fan of the band, and getting the opportunity to play with them was a dream come true. I genuinely enjoyed my time there, and it was fun… until it wasn't.
>
> For full transparency, I will not be participating in the band's upcoming shows. As unfortunate as this is, given the circumstances, I believe this was the right move to make. The differences regarding logistics and business decisions, primarily driven by the actions of the band's leader, created internal issues that made an already stressful environment increasingly difficult to work in.
>
> This unprofessionalism and lack of accountability was known well before I joined, and persisted throughout my time with the band, making day-to-day operations a constant challenge. The love I had for the band blinded me to the red flags my peers and the band's previous history had warned me about, especially surrounding the frontman, yet I chose to believe things would be different.
>
> In all of my years of working in this industry, I have never experienced this level of toxicity from an individual, and it stings extra having been perpetrated by the very band that first inspired me to start my career as a musician.
>
> Music should be a source of joy, but the environment became a source of stress that ultimately outweighed the positive aspects of being part of the band I grew up loving.
> I will continue creating music, and I sincerely thank all of you for your unconditional support.
Ginsburg responded on his Instagram Story:
> I don't know what Mike Leon is talking about in his post. However, I do know the facts and the facts are, Mike, and you know them too, is that we fired you last night because you hate dogs and you didn't want to tour with the dogs and you wanted more money and you weren't happy with anything ever. So unfortunately it's not working out, Mike. But what you wrote is fucking crazy, dude. Like, prove any of that fucking shit.
Ginsburg then posted requests for Nashville bassists to DM their auditions. This isn't the first time Ginsburg's behavior has made headlines. In 2024, Alien Ant Farm's Dryden Mitchell kicked CKY off their tour after Ginsburg allegedly punched him in the face. Ginsburg claimed he had "NO choice and GOOD reason for what happened."
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