Spafford keyboardist Andrew “Red” Johnson announced his departure from the band. Johnson cited the desire to spend time with his family in a post on Spafford’s social feeds detailing the decision.
Red will play his final shows as a member of Spafford on December 30 and New Year’s Eve at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. The home state concerts come 11 years after Johnson joined the band in a full-time capacity on December 31, 2011. Spafford kicks off their 2023 Winter Tour on January 6 in Crested Butte, Colorado. A replacement has not been announced as of press time.
Spafford completed their fall tour on Saturday night in Leesburg, Florida. “The music has been on point, the crew has been TOP NOTCH, and the fans… UNREAL as always,” Red pointed out of the trek towards the start of his statement. “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,” Johnson wrote. “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.”
Spafford recently surprise-released Simple Mysteries, a new studio album. Read the full note from Andrew “Red” Johnson below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/ClOivxVu9s2/?hl=en
