Brendon Urie has announced the disbandment of Panic! At The Disco after nearly 20 years.
In a statement issued on social media, Urie says he made the decision in order to focus on his family, as he and his wife, Sarah Orzechowski, are expecting their first child together.
“Growing up in Vegas I could’ve never imagined where this life would take me,” Urie writes. “So many places all over the world, and all the friends we’ve made along the way.
“But sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin. We’ve been trying to keep it to ourselves, though some of you may have heard… Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon! The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure.
“That said, I am going to bring this chapter of my life to an end and put my focus and energy on my family, and with that, Panic! At The Disco will be no more.”
He continues, “Thank you all for your immense support over the years. I’ve sat here trying to come up with the perfect way to say this and I truly can’t put into words how much it has meant to us.
“Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just finding us, it has been a pleasure to not only share the stage with so many talented people but also share our time with you. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Europe and the UK for one last run together.”
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Panic! At The Disco are set to embark on a last hurrah tour of Europe and the UK. The trek will commence February 20 in Vienna, Austria, with stops in Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Paris. From March 3, the band will head to the UK, stopping in Glasgow, Birmingham, London and Manchester.
Originally formed as a four-piece band, Panic! At The Disco featured, alongside Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith and Brent Wilson.
Panic! released four albums as a group – A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005), Pretty. Odd. (2008), Vices & Virtues (2011) and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013) – with three subsequent albums – Death of a Bachelor (2016), Pray for the Wicked (2018) and Viva Las Vengeance (2022) – arriving under the solo Panic! project of Brendon Urie.
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
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