Fozzy will be minus a longtime familiar face when they return to the stage this year. Longtime drummer Frank “Bud” Fontsere has exited the band after two decades of service in the group. However, as the new year kicks off, Fozzy have moved quickly to find his replacement.
In a social media posting, the group reveals:
After almost 2 decades, Frank Fontsere is stepping down as the drummer of Fozzy to focus on his family and other projects. We wish him nothing but the best and thank him for his years of maximum rock!
However, we are SO excited to announce that after an extensive audition process, our good friend Grant Brooks is the new drummer for Fozzy!! We are stoked to unleash the pure energy & talent that Grant brings to the band and we are ready to EXPLODE in 2022 … as we look forward to the BIGGEST year in our history! Love you guys and see you soon! – Chris, Rich, Billy & PJ.
UPDATE: Fontsere has also revealed his own statement on the matter that can be read below:
Hello, As you may have already heard, I have decided to step down as the drummer for Fozzy. This was a very painful decision to make even though it was the correct one. Getting on stage with guys I love and making music I love is something I will miss terribly. I will also miss getting to meet and interact with all the wonderful people who came to see us over the years. Fozzy has the best fans in the world. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reached out with positivity and support over the last few days. Your messages of encouragement mean more to me than you can imagine. I also would like to wish the guys in Fozzy and Guardians of the Jukebox all the success they deserve. I admit it will be hard to watch from the sidelines, but it’s the way it needs to be. As was mentioned in the post on Monday, the reason I need to step away is I no longer want to spend time away from home. If I’m honest, traveling was always my least favorite aspect of being in a band. Having a wife and son, especially a son who just turned 7 and is growing and changing day by day; touring was getting increasingly hard. It was affecting my mood and I was having a negative impact on the people around me. In a band situation, this is not good. It was also affecting my love of drumming. Drumming was starting to feel more like a job than a passion. In a band situation, this is lethal. I need a change. This is not the last you will hear from me however. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I have lots of plans for the future which include creating art and making drumming videos. In a lot of ways, I feel as though my life is just beginning. I sincerly hope you will continue forward on this journey with me. Much love to all and you’ll be hearing from me again soon. Frank.
Fontsere was one of Fozzy’s original members, having been with Chris Jericho and guitarist Rich Ward since their 1999 beginning. He’s played on their previous seven studio albums. It is not known if he will have contributions on the upcoming 2022 album Boombox or where Brooks spent time behind the kit for the next album.
Fozzy are expected to return to the road in March, first taking part in Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea in mid-March before kicking off a U.S. tour on March 31 in Detroit that will keep the band on the road through mid-May. See all dates and get ticketing information here.
Smiling Rock Stars
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