Pink Floyd Co-Founder Roger Waters ‘Fired’ By Label BMG After Remarks On Israel

German record label BMG recently “fired” the Pink Floyd co-founder, Roger Waters, after his latest comments regarding Israel, Ukraine and the United States. 

BMG had signed a publishing agreement with hopes to release a re-recorded version of the band’s 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon. However, in response to his comments, the new CEO of the company, Thomas Coesfeld, tossed the deal, and the re-recording was released by U.K. label Cooking Vinyl instead.

Waters has used his platforms to convey controversial claims. In a CNN broadcast last year, he spoke on President Joe Biden, claiming he is a “war criminal” who was “fueling the war in Ukraine.” In speaking with the United Nations Security Council, Waters called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “illegal,” but he “also condemn[s] the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms.”

He claimed to Rolling Stone that he is on a “kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government” and suggested that NATO essentially gave Russian President Vladimir Putin no other choice than to invade Ukraine.

Last May, Waters was slammed for wearing a Nazi- resembling uniform on stage at one of his shows in Berlin. In the past, the singer has been criticized for “antisemitic views.” Waters denies all claims of antisemitism made against him. 

He told journalist Glenn Greenwald that he had been “fired” by BMG, as a result of pressure from a Jewish group, the Anti-Defamation League. BMG has not released any statement on the matter.