The members of Skid Row have posted a response to the departure of Tony Harnell from the band, express surprise at the move and saying that they learned about it from the statement below:
To the SKID ROW faithful,
As you may know, Tony Harnell quit the band yesterday. We found out about his decision the same way all of you did, via his post on social media. He had posted that he was no longer in the band before informing the band personally.
The last we spoke with Tony was on Dec 17th. He was in the hospital being treated for "bronchitis with asthmatic symptoms". We were all very concerned and offered any assistance we could to help him get healthy. Due to his condition we were forced to cancel our show in Chicago on Dec. 19th. The next time we heard anything was his post yesterday.
That being said, we are all moving forward and wish Tony the best in his future endeavors.
Lastly, amidst all of the rumors and speculation, there has been no talk of a reunion nor are we opening for Guns N Roses.
That's it for now. We'll keep you updated as best we can.
Thanks for your support and understanding. See you in 2016!
Skid Row once again has an opening for lead singer less than a year after hiring Tony Harnell for the position.
Although the band has been mum, Harnell confirmed that the is no longer with Skid Row, posting on Facebook "I'm sorry to inform everyone that I'm no longer the lead singer for SKID ROW. I thank the fans for their love and support!"
He later added "I was not fired from SKID ROW, I quit. Being ignored and disrespected isn't my thing. I had a great time performing with the band and singing so many great songs. I don't regret a thing!"
Harnell was the fifth lead singer for the band after Matt Fallon (1986-1987), Sebastian Bach (1987-1996), Sean Mars (1997-1998) and Johnny Sollinger (1999-2015). He was hired in April and played his first show with the band on May 22. The only release from the band during Tony's tenure was the single 18 and Life.
Tony had previously been a member of TNT, Westworld and Starbreaker along with recording solo.