Keyboardist/vocalist Andrew “Red” Johnson has announced that he will step away from Spafford after more than a decade. An upcoming two-night New Year’s Eve run in Tempe, AZ will mark his final performances with the band. The news from Red arrives on the heels of the quartet’s lengthy 2022 fall tour, which wrapped up on Saturday with a set at the one-day JamBurg festival in Leesburg, FL.
As Johnson explained in a note posted to the band’s social media pages, “First off let me say what an amazing tour this has been! The music has been on point, the crew has been TOP NOTCH, and the fans… UNREAL as always! Thank you all so much!”
He continued, “Another reason this tour has been so incredibly special to me is that after many conversations with my family, very close friends, and my brothers in Spafford, I made the decision that this would be my last tour. The past 11 years with Spafford have been a dream come true and I wouldn’t trade a single second. But more and more my desire to spend time with my wife and family has started to outweigh the demands and dedication of full time touring. Being a member of Spafford has been the honor of my life. Making music with my best friends – my brothers, has been such a humbling experience and a privilege I will never take for granted. Although my journey with the band has come to an end, the Spafford story is far from over.”
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“New Year’s Eve is a very special night for Spafford as it’s the band’s birthday,” he added. “Back in late 2011, I was asked to play a handful of shows with the band to finish out the year. That New Year’s Eve, I became a full time member of Spafford. New Year’s shows have always been very special to me, so it seems only fitting that my last show should be on New Year’s Eve. I hope to see ALL of you at The Marquee Theater 12/30 and 12/31 to celebrate with us!”
Spafford recently released its third studio album, Simple Mysteries, and announced a number of early 2023 tour dates. The announcement of Andrew “Red” Johnson’s departure did not name a replacement Spafford keyboardist.
As Spafford guitarist Brian Moss added in a post of his own, “I understand and fully support Red’s decision and although it saddens me to see him go, I am happy for him and his family. I will miss playing with my brother – the good times both on and off the stage, and cherish the times we shared together. I can’t thank him enough for being such a huge part of what we have started so long ago. Now, it’s time for Spafford to pivot and make the best of this. We aren’t going anywhere and have some more announcements in the coming days. To the fans: Enjoy the time with friends and/or family this holiday and just know Spafford is resilient. We have a huge ‘23 planned and can’t wait to see you out there.”
Read the full message from Red on his departure from Spafford below. For details on the band’s upcoming tour dates, head here.
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