Evanescence Lead Guitarist Leaves Tour

11/05/2003 9:38 PM, AP
Caryn Rousseau

Evanescence lead guitarist Ben Moody has abandoned the group's world tour, and planned to meet informally Wednesday with representatives of his record label in Los Angeles.

"Ben is not on the current dates," Steve Karas, a spokesman for Wind-up Records and one of Evanescence's producers, told The Associated Press Tuesday.

There is no word on when — or if — he'd rejoin the group, Karas said. Moody was spotted Monday night by staff at Juanita's, a Little Rock bar. Karas said Moody hasn't played with the band since its Berlin show last month; he wouldn't say why the musician left the group.

Evanescence's CD "Fallen," featuring the hit "Bring Me to Life" from the movie "Daredevil," has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide since its March debut, according to New York City-based Wind-up Records.

Karas said Wednesday that "a statement will be forthcoming soon from Ben."

The rock group is scheduled to perform Nov. 16 at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, where they're nominated for best pop/rock album. It wasn't immediately known whether Moody would make that appearance.

Evanescence has been on tour since August and is scheduled to play dates in Glasgow, Scotland, and London this week with another Wind-up act, Finger Eleven. The band also is set to play Nov. 19 in Mexico City before returning to the United States for a set of concerts with Seether and Finger Eleven starting Nov. 21 in Tucson, Ariz.

Moody's departure comes after the band was named Best International New Artist at the MTV Latin Awards in Miami Beach, Fla., on Oct. 23. The group also is up for three MTV Europe Awards — best group, best new act and best song — to be awarded Thursday in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Moody and lead singer Amy Lee started the band in Little Rock after meeting at an Arkansas summer camp when they were in school. The duo started writing songs together soon afterward and played locally before they became popular worldwide.

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On the Net:

http://www.evanescence.com/