Former Bad Wolves guitarist AJ Rebollo has issued a follow-up statement regarding his recent departure from the band, clarifying what he described as “discrepancies” surrounding the circumstances of his exit and the group’s controversial cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
Rebollo announced his departure from Bad Wolves on August 28, citing ongoing disagreements with decisions involving the band and their label, Better Noise Music. He specifically pointed to the decision to release “Jolene” as the final straw, claiming that the band had opposed moving forward with the cover following Parton’s passing.
In his original statement, Rebollo said:
“I have been at odds with one too many decisions being made for the band for quite some time, but the final nail in the coffin was the label’s decision to move forward with the upcoming Dolly Parton cover, after we blatantly expressed our opposition.”
He added that the band had informed the label that they did not want to release the song after learning that Parton could no longer participate in the collaboration, believing it could be viewed as an attempt to capitalize on her passing.
However, Rebollo has now clarified that he did not have the complete picture regarding the band’s decision-making process.
In a new statement issued September 1, Rebollo stressed that his departure was not intended to be an attack against either Bad Wolves or Better Noise Music, while acknowledging that some of the claims in his original statement were based on incomplete information.
“I would like to follow up on my post the other day regarding my leave from Bad Wolves and say, once again, that this was NOT in any way a call to arms against Bad Wolves, or Better Noise. I would like to clarify some discrepancies regarding the flow of information and try to shift the focus to the positives here.”
Most notably, Rebollo revealed that he was unaware that Dolly Parton’s team had given its blessing for the cover to be released and that Bad Wolves drummer John Boecklin, who he described as the band’s head when it comes to business matters and its contractually obligated owner, had ultimately approved the release.
“At the end of the day, the band and label did, in fact, have the blessing of Dolly’s team to move forward with the cover, despite the fact that Dolly could no longer be involved, as previously planned. On top that, John, who is the head of Bad Wolves pertaining to all things business-related, and the contractually-obligated owner of the band, did give the green light to move forward with the release when the time came.”
Rebollo admitted that this information made part of his original statement inaccurate, specifically his claim that the band had presented a united front in opposing the release.
“This is something that was unknown to me, which inadvertently made my statement regarding the band being a united front in opposing the release, frankly, false. The communication within this band has always been a hinderance, but I also must acknowledge the fact that I dropped the ball on gathering all necessary information, when I honestly could have done so by just calling Allan Kovac (chairman of Better Noise) directly. I will absolutely take full responsibility for that.”
Despite his disagreements with the label and his decision to leave Bad Wolves, Rebollo said he now wants the focus to remain on the charitable aspect of the “Jolene” release. Proceeds from the cover are being directed toward Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
“Now, regardless of any disagreements I may have had with the label prior, or me leaving the band, there is no denying the fact that the proceeds from this track will bring about something great for Imagination Library and the kids who will receive books from the foundation.”
Following a conversation with Better Noise Music chairman Allen Kovac, Rebollo said he recognized that his original statement had unintentionally shifted attention away from the charitable cause.
“I am not retracting my departure, but I would like to, once again, encourage everybody upset by this to acknowledge the fact that Dolly’s team, wanted this decision to come to fruition. So, at the end of the day, it is no one else’s place to oppose that.”
Kovac also publicly praised Rebollo for addressing the situation and taking responsibility for the inaccurate information.
“It takes immense courage to publicly stand up, acknowledge a mistake, and set the record straight—especially in today’s fast-paced media landscape. I want to fully commend AJ for having the integrity and bravery to address the misinformation regarding the Bad Wolves and Dolly Parton collaboration.”
The “Jolene” cover was officially released on August 31, with additional statements from Dolly Parton’s manager Danny Nozell and Dolores O’Riordan’s husband and manager, both of whom voiced their support for the release.
Rebollo maintains that his decision to leave Bad Wolves still stands, but his latest statement makes clear that his original comments were based on information he did not have at the time.
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