UB40’s Ali Campbell hasn’t spoken to his brother Duncan since he suffered a stroke earlier this month.
Ali quit the band in 2008 to pursue a solo career. His brother Robin, a guitarist in the group, then invited Duncan to replace him.
Ali now performs under the name UB40 featuring Ali Campbell & Astro, along with Astro (Terence Wilson), another member of the original band.
Robin subsequently accused Ali of ‘stealing’ the UB40 name and causing confusion among fans about which band is playing where and when.
Ali appeared on U.K. TV show Good Morning Britain this week and revealed he is still estranged from his ailing sibling.
When asked whether or not the brothers had made contact since Duncan’s recent health woes, The Red Red Wine singer shared: “I have no contact with him. I only get to hear what’s happened like everyone else, so basically I don’t know what’s going down… I know he’s recovering.”
News of Duncan’s stroke was shared on the band’s Instagram page in a statement, which read: “We can confirm that our lead singer and brother Duncan Campbell was taken to hospital after suffering a stroke,” and asked fans to respect Duncan and the family’s privacy as he recovered.
Duncan currently serves as lead vocalist in the official UB40 line-up, and Ali stated he has no interest in getting the original group back together.
“I was betrayed by them,” he insisted, “I stand vindicated. I’m just happy to carry on promoting reggae and my version of UB40.”
UB40 featuring Ali Campbell & Astro will hit the road next spring for The Unprecedented Tour, with six arena dates across the U.K.
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