For those of a younger generation, the name Blaze might not immediate ring a bell. But if I was to play “My Beat” or “Do You Remember House”, chances are you’d be aware of those records. And if you’re of an, ahem, not so young generation, you’ll remember “What Can You Do” from 1996…

When Blaze was first founded in 1984, they originally consisted of three members – Chris Herbert, Josh Milan and Kevin Hedge. Herbert left the band in 1991 because he wanted to go in a more RnB direction. Which left Milan and Hedge working together until 2012. Since then, only Kevin Hedge remains in the band.

But a lesser reported story is why. Kevin Hedge was asked this very question in an interview with the 6am Group last year. He said “From my professional perspective I feel I became so involved and busy running the many different businesses I was invested in, that maybe my communication was not clear and inclusive. While still writing, producing and performing as Blaze many other opportunities of interest [came along and] began to share the equity in my mental focus”.

Really? Josh Milan gave an interview in 2013 – and he tells a very different story. He speaks about a publishing deal that was renewed several times without his knowledge. According to Milan, Hedge pocketed all the money.

He said “I got a publishing deal in 1989 and we recouped on our publishing. The problem is, we had the option to do it all over again. The option was accepted by my partner and I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know we were getting another advance. I didn’t find out until almost 12 years later. The contract was extended like four times – and each one of those times, money was handed over. I saw not one dime of it.”.

And how much money was involved? Milan responded with “Over the years, I count about $240,000”.

Which explanation is more likely to be true? I’ll let you decide that one…