The late Bradley Nowell formed Sublime with bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh in 1988. Less than a decade later, Nowell died of a heroin overdose in 1996. As a result, the band broke up. Then, in 2009 Rome Ramirez joined the band. They began touring and recording under the name Sublime with Rome for legal reasons. Now, Rome is plotting his departure from the band.
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The singer/guitarist took to social media earlier this week to announce that he is leaving the band. “After almost two remarkable decades, I am announcing my departure from Sublime with Rome at the close of 2024,” he began.
Rome went on to say that he plans to stay with the band and complete their upcoming performances. Those dates, he said, “Will allow us to reflect on countless incredible memories together.”
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“Singing and playing guitar for this iconic band has been a lifetime opportunity and just flat out, absolutely epic. Carrying on the Sublime legacy has been a trust I’ll forever cherish,” he added. However, Rome doesn’t plan to step away from music altogether. Instead, he’s looking to launch his solo career.
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“Over the last two years, I’ve been spending countless hours pouring my soul into my solo music,” he said. “The excitement to share these songs with you is building up! I’ve got some really big news that I can’t drop yet. Just wait,” he added.
Sublime to Move Forward Without Rome
Gaugh left the band in 2011 saying that performing under the Sublime banner without Nowell didn’t feel right. Earlier this month, though, he joined Wilson and Nowell’s son Jakob to play a benefit show for Bad Brains frontman H.R. on December 11.
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Billboard reports that the band took the stage without a name. However, after the second song of the set, Nowell announced that he would take his late father’s spot in the band. Earlier this year, Nowell and his mother, Troy Dendekker struck a deal with Wilson and Gaugh to relaunch Sublime with the younger Nowell at the helm. Kevin Zinger and Joe Escalante will manage the band.
Featured Image by Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Audacy’s Riptide Music Festival
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