UB40 star asks Mickey Virtue to ‘tell the truth’ after many years leaving Ali Campbell’s band: “If he was dumped (by Ali), maybe we will get the truth at last”

Robin Campbell has spoken out as the UB40 war flares up again – in the band’s 40th anniversary month

UB40 founder member Robin Campbell has given his verdict on former keyboard player Mickey Virtue’s sudden departure from brother Ali Campbell’s rival band.

And, having trained with boxing champ Amir Khan on our video above, he didn’t pull any punches.

“I had no inkling this was going to happen but would be interesting to hear some honesty from Mickey,” said Robin.

“It would be nice if Mickey were to tell the truth about why he left us.

“If he was dumped (by Ali), maybe we will get the truth at last – I don’t know.

“He was told things about us which made him leave at the same time as Ali.

Robin Campbell after playing UB40’s secret gig at the Hare & Hounds on October 7, 2018 (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)
“We were not going to accept that behaviour and said: ‘If you’re leaving, you’re leaving. The door is not going to remain open’.

“Six months later we were on tour in the US and Mickey phoned me and the management to ask if he could come back.

“But I said: ‘We told you that if you left you would not be welcome back’.

“At least he told us that he was leaving, which is more than Astro did.”

BirminghamLive has attempted to contact Mickey Virtue for comment.

August 2016: Robin Campbell on the night UB40 headlined the Solihull Summer Festival in aid of the charity Help Harry Help Others (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)
The split in Ali’s camp was revealed on Tuesday, December 11 by BirminghamLive.

The surprise news came just ten days before Robin and his nucleus of original UB40 members play the Arena Birmingham on December 21, the last Friday before Christmas.

Mickey was due to have played the same venue on March 29, 2019

But that gig is now being listed as ‘UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro’, with Mickey’s name dropped.

His departure from Ali’s group is significant, partly because of family ties.

One of his sisters is the former wife of Ali while another married drummer Jimmy Brown, still with Robin’s camp.

February 2015: Members of UB40 Earl Falconer, Jimmy Brown, Norman Hassan, Brian Travers and brothers Duncan and Robin Campbell at the Eagle and Tun pub in Digbeth, Birmingham (Image: Darren Quinton / BirminghamLive)

What Robin Campbell said about Mickey Virtue

UB40 have just come back to the UK after playing gigs in European cities including Paris and Geneva.

“I am surprised (Mickey has left Ali) and have no idea why it’s happened,” said Robin.

“I can only imagine it’s over money.

“With our band everybody gets the same regardless of their contribution which was something we decided very early on when we formed the band.

“Mickey made a smaller contribution (to UB40) than other members of the band, but he was always treated as an equal member which is why it hurts when people leave.”

40 years and out: Mickey has been deleted from the Twitter page header for UB40 feat Ali Campbell and Astro (Image: UB40 feat Ali Campbell and Astro)

Never say never

Robin said he could not say whether Mickey would ever be welcomed back into the UB40 fold.

But it would not be at the expense of current keyboard player Tony Mullings who had been with the band for ten years.

“I can’t say if Mickey could come back because I am not the leader of the band – we all vote on everything,” said Robin, leaving the door ever so slightly ajar.

“If he did it would be as an additional keyboard player.

“But I can’t say that would ever be the case.

“There’s no chance of the other two coming back (Ali and Astro) – that’s for certain.”

Astro, Mickey Virtue and Ali Campbell on March 29, 2014 at the Dog and Partridge pub in Marchington, Staffordshire (Image: Nick Wilkinson)

Why did Mickey Virtue leave Ali Campbell’s band?

Deacon Communications is promoting the tour with Ali Campbell.

After BirminghamLive asked why Mickey had been dropped from the band’s name, it released a statement saying: “Mickey Virtue will no longer be playing with UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey, effective immediately.

“Mickey has been in the band for almost 40 years and has now decided his time with the band has come to an end.

Mickey Virtue, Ali Campbell, Earl Falconer and Norman Hassan on January 22, 1986 – Earl, Norman and Mickey were celebrating birthdays in the same week (Image: Mirrorpix)
“The band will continue to tour and make new music as planned, with the two original singers Ali Campbell and Astro and their incredible reggae band.”

UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro will play the Arena Birmingham on March 29, 2019.

They last played the venue (then called the Barclaycard Arena) in May, 2016 – and you can read the review with set list here

Relaxing after UB40’s secret gig at the Hare & Hounds on October 7, 2018 – brothers Duncan and Robin Campbell (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)

Next up

UB40 have one more gig to play this year – on Friday, December 21 at Arena Birmingham.

“It’s going to be a great party,” said Robin.

They will release their new album For The Many early in the New Year and then embark on a 40-date tour to further celebrate the 40th anniversary.

Robin said: “Very few of those are ‘big gigs’, but we wanted to get to the fans rather than make them come to arenas.

Brian Travers on sax, with lead singer Duncan Campbell and Brian’s fellow UB40 founder member Robin Campbell (right) (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)
“I can’t ever have envisaged 40 years but I reckon we probably will be going to 50… it’s all down to luck now and genes, you just never know.

“I don’t do anything specifically to look after myself but I don’t do anything specifically to kill myself – it’s moderation in all things.

“Don’t burn the candle at both ends.

“Nothing in life gives you what a gig gives you. There’s no substitute for it.”

The UB40 timeline

Brothers Robin and Ali Campbell were part of the original group which first formed in December, 1978.

Other members included sax player Brian Travers, bass player Earl Falconer, percussionist and trombone player Norman Hassan, and drummer Jimmy Brown.

The PRS for Music Heritage Award sign at Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath was unveiled on October 4, 2011 (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)
They are all still with Robin after playing the band’s first gig on February 9, 1979 at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, where there is a plaque on the wall outside to commemorate the event.

Percussion and trumpet player Astro and keyboardist Mickey Virtue joined later that pivotal month after percussion player Yomi Babayemi and keyboardist Jimmy Lynn left.

After years of success including world tours and three UK No 1 singles, Ali Campbell left the band in 2008 to pursue a solo career. Mickey Virtue quit shortly afterwards.

UB40 in 1985: Astro, Norman Hassan, Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer, Ali Campbell, and left to right (in front of mixing desk) Mickey Virtue, Robin Campbell and Brian Travers
Robin replaced Ali with another brother Duncan Campbell , who has now been the lead vocalist for the past decade.

All of the Campbell siblings, along with older brother David who once briefly managed the group, are the sons of the late folk star Ian Campbell who died in 2012 aged 79.

When Astro also then left UB40 in November 2013, he joined Ali and Mickey in January, 2014.

They have recently been touring as ‘UB40 featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey’.

Original UB40 lead singer Ali Campbell with fellow former band members Astro and Mickey Virtue in 2014
That move sparked an expensive and very bitter, ongoing legal battle in which Robin Campbell has been trying to protect his band’s name via the courts.

His group has three more longstanding members – Laurence Parry on brass since 1994, Martin Meredith on sax and keyboards (since 1997) and Tony Mullings (keyboards, 2008).

Both Mickey Virtue and Astro seemed to be in good spirits when they appeared together at the Pride of Birmingham Awards which were held at the University of Birmingham in March, 2018.

On October 7, 2018, Robin Campbell’s UB40 played a secret gig at the Hare & Hounds which you can watch on the video below.

What the brothers say

Robin Campbell told us in February 2016: “Ali resigned from the band. He never owned the name.

“He didn’t start the band. He wasn’t the founder. We all started the band together.

“There was no battle when Ali left.

Tough guys: UB40 star Robin Campbell with boxer Amir Khan after a Park Regis Hotel charity gig in November, 2016 (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)
“He spent five years performing under his own name.

“He wasn’t the leader. We were a democratic band that he chose to leave.

“Thereby, leaving the remaining members to carry on as UB40 and that is what we did.”

Original UB40 lead singer Ali Campbell (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)
In April 2016, Ali Campbell told us: “I left because of what was going on behind my back.

“They have stolen my back catalogue of 30 years’ work.”

VIDEO LOADING

ALI CAMPBELL OF UB40 SPEAKS TO BIRMINGHAMLIVE

Glassed in the face at the Red Lion in Kings Heath on his 17th birthday, Ali said he later received “£4,500 in criminal injuries compensation at a time when I was getting £7.50 a week on the dole at the age of 19.

“I gave a quarter of it to Robin and Duncan for a car business which they lost within weeks, and put the rest towards band equipment.

“Me, Earl and Jimmy were the original members of UB40.

“I only invited Robin into the band because he knew the chords to the House of the Rising Sun.”