Singer Justin Hawkins, he of the high voice and over-the-top stage presence, has left his band The Darkness "to continue his drug rehabilitation," according to a Billboard article.
How bad did it get. Here's Hawkins in a recent interview with Britain's The Sun:
I spent over £150,000 on cocaine in three years – a frightening amount. I was consuming up to five grams a day which cost me £1,000 a week, sometimes more. "I regularly used to stay up for four days at a time on coke and alcohol binges.
The band plans to carry on without him. Hawkins plans to pursue a solo career. He lives with girlfriend Sue Whitehouse, who manages The Darkness, whose lineup includes Hawkins' brother. It's easy to imagine that conversations regarding his future were intense.