After winning one of classic rock’s most bitter trademark wars, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings are finally free to be The Guess Who again. Their first performance under that name in 23 years will take place on the Rock Legends Cruise XIII next February—and it’s already shaping up as the most anticipated reunion in Canadian rock history.
The cruise performance isn’t just a trip down memory lane—it’s the result of a legal battle decades in the making. In September 2024, Bachman and Cummings finally reclaimed the Guess Who trademark, ending their feud with Jim Kale and Garry Peterson. For years, they had watched what they referred to as a “cover band” perform the very songs they had written—best tracks that may have come together in minutes but took half a lifetime to truly own.
Nothing says “artistic integrity” like a decades-long trademark lawsuit, but hey, at least it’s more honest than most reunion tour motivations. The real drama happened when Cummings took an unprecedented step to force the resolution: he terminated performing rights for hits like “American Woman” and “These Eyes,” meaning no one—including the rival Guess Who lineup—could perform their songs live.
This move was the music industry equivalent of changing your Netflix password when your ex won’t stop using your account. It cost Cummings significant publishing revenue but achieved its goal of forcing a settlement.
“It was painful, but we’d have done it indefinitely just to stop that fake band from taking over our history,” Cummings told Rolling Stone. The nuclear option worked where years of legal proceedings had failed.
Marathon Show Promises Deep Catalog
Bachman promises a “two- or three-hour Springsteen kind of marathonic show” featuring about 30 hit songs, mixing Guess Who classics with material from his Bachman-Turner Overdrive years and Cummings’ solo catalog. That’s roughly double the length of most heritage rock performances—a statement that they’re not just going through the motions.
The backing band includes seasoned musicians from Cummings’ solo tour: Sean Fitzsimons on drums, Jeff Jones on bass, and additional guitarists Tim Bovaconti and Joe Augello. This isn’t a hastily assembled pickup group but a proven unit ready for an ambitious setlist.
The February cruise performance may ignite a full-scale Guess Who reunion tour in 2026. Both Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings are clearing their 2025 calendars—Bachman with a revived BTO tour, Cummings with solo commitments—to make way for what could be their final return to the stage together. Unlike the chaotic KISS reunion, this second act seems more coordinated, at least for now.
Your ticket to the Rock Legends Cruise XIII gets you more than just this historic reunion. The lineup includes Gene Simmons Band, Blue Öyster Cult, Jefferson Starship, and Loverboy, sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Jamaica between February 23-27.
