WHITESNAKE Keyboardist Quits To Pursue 'Solo' Career

Keyboardist Timothy Drury (pictured below) has left the legendary rock band WHITESNAKE in order to "pursue a solo career."

"For over seven years now I have been fortunate enough to travel the world, to play and sing my heart out and to share the stage with David Coverdale as a part of WHITESNAKE," Drury said in a statement.

"I've learned so much from David Coverdale and this experience, about following one's heart, about being authentic, about never letting fear prevent one from pursuing one's destiny. More than ever, I see the value of what I can express as a composer and producer, photographer, songwriter, singer... as an artist. That is why I must now say my goodbyes to you all and take my leave to pursue some very important creative projects that have been brewing for some time now.

"I am currently preparing for my first photography show in the Winfield Gallery in Carmel where I will be performing my cinematic music at the opening and projecting my images and video on screens. The event will be happening as part of the Carmel Art and Film Festival, October 6th through the 10th."

WHITESNAKE singer David Coverdale said: "We are sad to lose such a valued member of the band, but, we understand, support and sincerely wish Timothy every success in his solo career & thank him for a great, fun journey together."

At this time WHITESNAKE is focusing on finishing the new studio album before seeking a replacement keyboard player.

WHITESNAKE recently announced the addition of bassist Michael Devin to the group's ranks.

Devin, 35, most recently played in LYNCH MOB alongside new WHITESNAKE drummer Brian Tichy (FOREIGNER, BILLY IDOL, OZZY OSBOURNE, VELVET REVOLVER).

WHITESNAKE's current lineup is rounded out by guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach.

WHITESNAKE is in the studio recording the follow-up to 2008's "Good To Be Bad" for a spring release via Frontiers Records. A worldwide tour in support of the CD will follow the album's release.

According to a press release, WHITESNAKE's next CD will be "a solid, natural progression from the band's last opus, which was awarded by the influential Classic Rock magazine as 'Best Album of the Year' in 2008." "As always, we want to take it to the next level," stated David Coverdale. "I feel that with the last album we achieved a strong WHITESNAKE 'cocktail' that comfortably embraced and mixed all the previous musical aspects and styles of the band's history, while taking our identity a little further... all on one album."

Coverdale said the production team for the new album will most likely be the infamous Brutal Brothers, or Los Bros Brutalos, who handled the recording of "Good To Be Bad".

"The new songs are in the very familiar and recognizable WHITESNAKE territory of soulful, bluesy, melodic power rock, with a couple of ballads thrown in for good measure," the singer said. "It can't be a WHITESNAKE album without ballads, mate!"

WHITESNAKE was forced to cancel a number of shows on its 2009 summer U.S. tour with JUDAS PRIEST due to David Coverdale being diagnosed with "severe vocal fold edema and a left vocal fold vascular lesion."

(Thanks: Fulshred)