Bad Wolves are facing a turbulent new chapter after losing their planned spot on Skillet’s upcoming tour and then seeing guitarist AJ Rebollo announce his departure. The two developments arrived amid controversy surrounding new vocalist Sara “Killboy” Skinner and a separate dispute over the band’s heavy-metal cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
The timing has made the situation even more striking. Parton had reportedly approved the arrangement before her death on Aug. 25, while Rebollo argued that releasing the song so soon afterward could be seen as exploiting her passing. Bad Wolves and Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell, however, have described the release as a tribute that Parton had already blessed.
More Dolly Tributes: Bad Wolves aren’t the only act navigating what it means to honor Dolly right now, one country star recently turned a familiar duet into an emotional solo farewell. For more, read our story on Brad Paisley Gets Emotional Performing Dolly Parton Duet Alone After Her Death: “I Never Thought It Would Be About Her”.
Why Bad Wolves Lost the Skillet Tour and What Sara “Killboy” Skinner Said
Bad Wolves had been scheduled to join Christian rock band Skillet on an upcoming tour alongside Escape The Fate. The trek was also expected to introduce Skinner to audiences as Bad Wolves’ new vocalist, making its cancellation a major setback for the band’s latest era.
Skinner joined the group after previously appearing on the 2023 track “It’s You (2 Months).” Bad Wolves formally unveiled her as Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz’s replacement alongside “Paint It Red” in June, with founding drummer John Boecklin saying the band wanted more than a simple replacement.
That next chapter quickly became complicated.
In a social media video posted Aug. 25, Skinner announced that Bad Wolves would no longer be part of the Skillet tour. She said Skillet fans had conducted extensive research into her background after the tour announcement and addressed the resulting allegations herself.
“I have gathered you all here today to inform you that Bad Wolves will no longer be joining Skillet on their upcoming tour.”
She then said:
“Skillet announced us on their tour and their fans had a field day doing very extensive research that their booking agents and management did not do.”
Skinner followed with a deliberately provocative statement:
“Upon their findings, I am a trans OnlyFans bitch. Now, unfortunately, only one of those things is true. Have fun finding out and we will see you on the next tour.”
Skinner said Skillet’s camp initially did not want her to speak publicly about the matter, but she chose to respond rather than leave speculation unanswered. Skillet had not publicly provided a detailed explanation for Bad Wolves’ removal at the time of the reporting, while Bad Wolves expressed support for its LGBTQ+ community on social media.
More Music Surprises: Skinner isn’t the only musician catching fans off guard this week, one A-list actor’s secret rap persona just dropped a full album out of nowhere. For more, check out our post on Tom Hardy’s Secret Rap Persona Frankie Pulitzer Just Got a Full Album — And Fans Are Seriously Surprised.
AJ Rebollo Leaves Bad Wolves After the Dolly Parton “Jolene” Dispute
The Skillet tour controversy was followed by another major shake-up. Guitarist AJ Rebollo announced that he was leaving Bad Wolves, citing growing frustration with decisions involving the band and its record label, Better Noise Music.
The breaking point was the band’s upcoming metal version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
Bad Wolves had recorded the cover months earlier, hoping Parton would contribute vocals. According to Boecklin, Better Noise Music CEO Dan Waite sent the finished recording to Parton’s manager, Danny Nozell, who played it for Parton.
The band said Parton loved the arrangement and intended to record her vocals. Her death on Aug. 25 meant the planned collaboration could not happen.
Rebollo and other members subsequently opposed releasing the song, believing its immediate release after Parton’s death could be viewed as exploiting the situation. He said the label proceeded despite those objections.
“I am making the decision to step away as a member of Bad Wolves.”
Rebollo called the “Jolene” dispute “the final nail in the coffin” and said he could not remain in a situation where decisions made by the label could affect how the band was perceived. He also said the pressure surrounding matters outside the musicians’ control had taken a toll and contrasted the experience with his previous time in Issues, where he said the band had greater creative autonomy.
Still, Rebollo stressed that his departure was not an attack on his former bandmates. He said he loved them as friends and collaborators and remained proud of the upcoming album they had created.
More High-Profile Exits: Walking away from a defining role over how a situation was handled isn’t unique to Rebollo, a major Hollywood star recently explained her own complicated exit from an iconic franchise. For more, dive into our story on Gal Gadot Explains Why She Left Wonder Woman and Calls Henry Cavill, Patty Jenkins’ DC Treatment “Not Handled Elegantly”.
Dolly Parton Had Approved Bad Wolves’ “Jolene” Before Her Death
The biggest complication is that Parton had reportedly already approved the project.
Boecklin explained that the idea came from Bad Wolves’ singer being a major “Jolene” fan who had previously posted videos performing the song. The band then created a heavy-metal version for its next album.
“Our singer is a big fan of Dolly and had posted a bunch of videos of her covering ‘Jolene.’ So, we decided to make a Heavy Metal cover version for our next album.”
After hearing the arrangement, Waite reportedly sent it to Nozell, and Boecklin said the band was told Parton liked it and planned to record her vocals. The necessary stems were then sent to her studio engineers.
After Parton’s death, Bad Wolves chose to release the track as a tribute, with proceeds going to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The song arrived Aug. 31.
Nozell also rejected the idea that Parton had not approved the collaboration:
“Dolly was a champion of artists pushing musical boundaries. She listened to the Bad Wolves arrangement of ‘Jolene’ weeks ago, gave it her full blessing, and was incredibly excited to collaborate on it.”
Nozell added that releasing the song as a tribute and supporting the Imagination Library was consistent with what Parton and her team wanted.
More Timing Controversies: Questions about whether something was released or unveiled at the right moment aren’t unique to “Jolene,” a major fashion institution recently faced similar backlash over its own timing. For more, read our full coverage of John Galliano’s 2027 Met Gala Exhibition Canceled After Backlash Over His Past Remark
Bad Wolves’ “Jolene” Situation Has an Unusual “Zombie” Parallel
There is already a striking precedent in Bad Wolves’ history. Their breakthrough came with their 2018 cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” released shortly after vocalist Dolores O’Riordan died. O’Riordan had been expected to contribute vocals before her death.
Bad Wolves ultimately released the track and donated proceeds to causes connected with O’Riordan’s family.
The parallel with “Jolene” is obvious: both projects involved planned collaborations with legendary singers that could not happen because of their deaths. The key difference is the internal disagreement this time, with Rebollo questioning the timing while Boecklin and Nozell have emphasized Parton’s prior approval.
Bad Wolves now move forward with Skinner as their new vocalist, Rebollo gone, their Skillet tour appearance canceled and “Jolene” released as a Dolly Parton tribute. What began as a new chapter for the band has quickly become one of its most complicated moments.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available statements and reporting from Stereogum, Skillet’s official website, The PRP and Kerrang! available as of Sept. 1, 2026. Claims and allegations made by individuals involved in the disputes are presented as their statements and should not be treated as independently established facts unless separately confirmed.
More Undead Connections: Speaking of “Zombie,” the undead have been busy elsewhere too, with one apocalypse-themed franchise recently bringing back a fan-favorite character in a way nobody expected. To learn more, read our feature on The Walking Dead: Dead City Brings Beth Back — and Shows Maggie and Negan a Life Without the Apocalypse.
Sources
- Stereogum — Bad Wolves tour and AJ Rebollo report
- Skillet — Official website and tour information
- The PRP — Sara Skinner/Skillet tour report
- The PRP — Bad Wolves’ “Jolene” release and Parton collaboration
- Kerrang! — Bad Wolves’ “Jolene” tribute and Parton collaboration
Featured Image Credit: Josef Just / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
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