Tony Hadley quits Spandau Ballet

TONY HADLEY has parted ways with quintessential 1980s band Spandau Ballet in a shock statement today.

The Gold singer wasn’t giving much away as he took to Facebook to make the surprise announcement.

‘Due to circumstances beyond my control,’ he wrote. ‘It is with deep regret that I am required to state that I am no longer a member of the band Spandau Ballet and as such I will not be performing with the band in the future.’

Perhaps the key to the split is in that key word ‘required’, as the remaining band members — Martin and Gary Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble — also released a short, somewhat tetchy-sounding counter-statement.

‘Much to our frustration,’ they wrote. ‘Tony had made it clear in September 2016 that he didn’t want to work with the band anymore.

‘This has not changed and 2015 was the last time we were able to perform or work with him. So we have now made the decision to move on as a band.’

Spandau Ballet has split once before, back in 1990, but reformed in 2009. This time, however, it sounds like the break is final.

Many fans rallied around today, declaring Tony ‘the voice of Spandau’ — and Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes To Hollywood fame was quick to echo the sentiment.

‘You always will be the voice of Spandau Ballet though Tony,’ he tweeted, ‘and that’s something that can’t be denied.’

Author: Anna Thomson