LIGHTHOUSE Family fans were heartbroken when the iconic British duo unexpectedly announced their split after 30 years.
The two-piece – who had hits with Lifted, Ocean Drive and High – announced the news last year, with keyboardist Paul Tucker blaming it all on singer Tunde Baiyewu’s need to be a solo singer.
In a statement, he wrote: "I am as disappointed as you are. It breaks my heart to let you down.”
But, in his first interview since the news of their bitter split broke, Tunde has now revealed his side of the story, claiming he was left feeling like a "doormat" – with the final straw being when Paul locked him out of all their social media accounts.
"We're not on talking terms,” Tunde says. “I haven't spoken to him because of that for over two years.
“I just want to get on with my life and make music, but we haven't spoken for almost two years now.”
READ MORE IN SHOWBIZ
Inside most toxic WAG feuds as Kyle Walker’s wife and Rebekah Vardy reignite row
Where Ballykissangel stars are now – from Oscar nominations to sex tape saga
'Final straw'
The announcement of Lighthouse Family’s shock split came last year, just before they were due to play their last gig at the Mouth of Tyne Festival on July 9.
Revealing they were pulling out of the festival, Paul wrote on Instagram: "I’m so sad to let you know that after almost 30 years we have reached the end of our Lighthouse Family journey.
“Tunde now wants to focus on his solo career and I wish him all the best.
“I was really looking forward to this hometown show and playing our songs in this amazing place close to the lighthouses that gave us our name.
Most read in Celebrity
Top model & influencer dies at 35 in suspected suicide after 'fall from home'
Katie Price mum-shamed as she arrives back in UK with kids Bunny and Jett
Example finds love six months after split – and she looks exactly like his ex
Georgia Harrison reveals she’s suing Stephen Bear for destroying her career
"I am as disappointed as you are. It breaks my heart to let you down.”
But Tunde reveals how behind the scenes Paul had locked him out of their social media accounts.
“He locked everybody out,” Tunde says. “He locked the managers out, and even the record label that was supposed to be looking after the social media portals.
“I’ve had no access for over two years. Whenever you see anything posted on the Lighthouse Family Facebook page, I'm not the one doing it.
“I've been locked out of all of that. I have no say.
“If somebody says, ‘Happy Birthday, Tunde on the Lighthouse Ffamily social media page, I can't even say thank you, because I've been locked out.”
If somebody says, ‘Happy Birthday, Tunde on the Lighthouse Family social media page, I can't even say thank you, because I've been locked out
What made it worse for Tunde was that he’d actually bought the Lighthouse Family Facebook page off of a fan who’d created it years ago – meaning it technically belonged to him.
He explains: “When we made this last Lighthouse Family record, the record company come to me and said, 'We know you own it, but can we use it?'
“So I gave it to everybody to use it and then to find myself locked out of it was just unacceptable.
“That was the final straw for me. When it gets to that level, you just realise the spirit that started the whole thing is not there anymore, and I just found that it's best to just step away from it and do my own thing.”
'Taking a toll'
Hailing from Newcastle, the Lighthouse Family's 1995 debut album, Ocean Drive, sold more than 1.5 million copies.
Best known for their single, High, which went to number one in Australia, the duo first met while working in bars in their hometown.
They signed to Polydor Records in 1993 and Ocean Drive went on to be six-times certified platinum.
The group's sophomore album, Postcards From Heaven, achieved similar success.
Tunde admits their recent split is “very sad, considering when you look at the history of the band”, but notes how it often happens with bands.
He explains: “Usually it's just because success breeds that kind of thing, where there's always inequality within a band and maybe somebody feels that they're the ones that are supposed to be calling the shots.
“Slowly what happens is, when that creeps into the situation, it can affect a lot of things and, especially for me, I just felt like I had to step away from it because it was taking a toll on my mental health.”
Lighthouse Family took a break from touring and promotional appearances in the early 2000s to focus on their solo projects.
They reformed in 2010 and completed national tours in the UK and Ireland, and they released their fourth and final album in 2019 called, Blue Sky in Your Head.
End of the road
But Tunde believes this is the end for them now.
He says: “For my own mental health and mental sanity, I just realised everything has a beginning and an end, it doesn't matter how good it is.
“That’s just part of life.
“I think you do have to realise when you get to that point, there's no point carrying on and allowing yourself to be a doormat. That's just not acceptable."
Despite High being released in 1997, Tunde notes how Joey Essex skated to it on Dancing On Ice this series, in honour of his late mum, and he also recently heard it on EastEnders.
And, for that reason, he will be performing all the Lighthouse Family hits when he heads off on a tour around the UK in May, starting in Cardiff and ending in Manchester.
He says: “I co-wrote those Lighthouse Family songs. Lifted is my song, High is my song. And those are songs that a lot of people know.
“People know those songs and they mean a lot to people. They mean a lot to me.
“Wherever I go, those songs come with me. Those songs are part of my DNA, because we wrote them together.”
Read More on The Sun
The Spanish hotspot which is 20C and has 88p beers
Nando’s has made a major change to menus – and fans won’t be happy
The Sun has contacted Paul Tucker's representatives for comment.
Tickets for Tunde’s UK tour available from www.tundeb.com
Source: Read Full Article
