Singer SHIMON MOORE Says He Was Fired From SICK PUPPIES

Frontman Shimon Moore says that he was surprised by his ousting from SICK PUPPIES, the band he co-founded in Australia with bassist Emma Anzai in 1997 while the two were in high school.

Anzai and drummer Mark Goodwin, the trio's remaining members, issued a statement on October 20 in which they said that Moore was "pursuing other endeavors," adding, "We are currently in the studio writing material for our upcoming studio album while auditioning new singers… Our passion and determination to create and share our music is stronger than ever. We cannot wait for SICK PUPPIES' next chapter to unfold and for you all to be part of it."

On Friday, Moore posted a statement on his personal Facebook page in which he claimed that SICK PUPPIES' October 20 announcement that he was leaving the band "was the first [he] had heard of it." He added: "The truth is that there was tension in the band after the many years of touring. I had hoped that some time apart would resolve these issues and lead us to the next phase of our career. It, unfortunately, seems that Emma and Mark have decided to move on with a new singer instead."

Shimon continued: "It has taken a couple of days for me to respond because I have needed a bit of time to get over the news.

"Emma, Mark and I have done the impossible together. We turned a bunch of songs and a dream into a reality, then traveled the world to show it to everyone. For that I will always be grateful to them.

"I am deeply saddened to have lost my band after all these years.

"I am so touched by the messages from you all asking me if I will be continuing in music and the answer is, obviously, 'Yes.'"

"For those of you I may lose during this time, I will miss you.

"For those of you who will stand by me, I will not let you down.

"Please remember one of my favorite lyrics. 'Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.'"

Moore added that he has "been locked out" of all the SICK PUPPIES social media sites and mailing lists since his departure from the band was first announced.

Moore told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that it was gratifying to see years of hard work start to pay off for the group after they struggled in Australia for a long time. "There are so many times when you get tired and, you don't question whether or not you're gonna continue, but you do just go, 'Man, when are we gonna get a break, or what's gonna happen?'" he said. "And I think we're finally starting to see some of the fruits of our labor now with people knowing the words to our songs, people coming to us after the shows and saying the music is important to them. And that wouldn't have happened if we hadn't continued, and that's really the most humbling thing for us, out of everything."

SICK PUPPIES had their first breakthrough success when the video for their song "All The Same", which showcased a "Free Hugs" campaign, became a massive sensation on YouTube.

Their albums included 2007's "Dressed Up As Life", 2009's "Tri-Polar" and 2013's "Connect", while their string of rock radio hits featured "You're Going Down", "Odd One", "Riptide" and "There's No Going Back".