Friday January 14, 2005
Boy band Busted announced today they are splitting up, as frontman Charlie Simpson starts touring with his new rock band Fightstar.
The band have had a string of top five singles, including Year 3000, since busting on to the music scene in 2002. They held a press conference in London today to confirm the Sun's prediction earlier this week that the band would split as Simpson announced his departure.
Band member Matt Willis said: "It's a really sad day for all of us but we've always said that if one member left then we'd call it a day. The last three years have been unbelievable and I'd like to say a massive thank you to all our fans - you've been amazing."
Simpson himself said: "I'm incredibly proud of everything that we've achieved in Busted. We've enjoyed some of the best times in our lives together. I wouldn't change one single bit of it. This has been a really difficult decision and I hope the fans will understand."
Early today, a spokesman for Busted was still claiming that the band were not splitting up for good. "Charlie is doing Fightstar at the moment. Busted will reconvene in due course," he said.
Busted's other two members, Matt Jay and James Bourne, are "taking a break", the spokesman added.
But former public schoolboy Simpson, 19, has made no secret of the fact he is sick of the band.
He recently told rock magazine Kerrang!: "It was a fun job but I'd never claim Busted was anything other than a pop band. Busted is not the ideal band I'd like to be in by any stretch of the imagination."
Simpson added: "Lots of people say to me, 'I completely hate Busted'. That's completely cool with me. I understand why."
Busted shot to fame in September 2002 with the single What I Go To School For. They have had seven more top three singles including Crashed The Wedding and You Said No.
http://www.guardian....1390404,00.htmlhttp://www.link-to-article-url.com
There is a God, it seems...