James Kottak was left shocked by the recent statement made by Mikkey Dee, the drummer who replaced him in Scorpions.
Kottak's removal from Scorpions in 2016 led the drummer to focus on his solo endeavors. He has also been working with other musicians - Keith St. John, Johnny B. Frank, Rick Steier, and Danny Stag - for the revamped version of Kingdom Come.
Although he has already moved on from his previous band, he expressed his shock at Mikkey Dee's recent revelation about him and the band.
James Kottak Had No Idea About His "Prepared" Replacement
Speaking with Metal Voice, the former Scorpions drummer opened up about Dee's recent statement about how he secretly met the band and rehearsed with the members while Kottak was still part of the band.
Per Kottak, he does not know about it, saying that anyone should "get somebody really good" if they are going to replace him. However, he called Dee a great drummer as he already saw him play with King Diamond in the past years.
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The drummer recalled the time he stayed at Eric Clapton's Crossroads drug and alcohol treatment center. He reportedly had no idea something was going to change in his status with the band, as he was advised to stay in the facility as long as he wanted to.
He came back in July before he was dismissed in November.
"But they're smart guys, man," he said. "They've got a business to run. And as they would say, they're in their twilight years, so to speak, and they just didn't wanna take any chances on any trouble. I don't blame 'em. They're smart. They've been at it [a long time]."
James Kottak "Hurt" After He Exited the Band
Kottak opened up about his true feelings when Jimmy Kay noted that it probably hurt when he was dismissed from Scorpions.
According to the drummer, he was hurt on top of feeling surprised and taken off guard.
In 2020, he sat down for an interview with the band's fan club, Crazyscorps, during which he detailed the reasons that led to his departure. Kottak said he always drank all the time while taking Aleve, a pain medication.
Although he did not drink from 2008 to 2011, he soon got triggered to start drinking again when the "disease" came back to him again.
Despite his exit, he told everyone he remains friends with Scorpions members.
