DROWNING POOL Part Ways With Singer

June 13, 2005

Texas-based metallers DROWNING POOL have parted ways with singer Jason "Gong" Jones. Jones apparently announced his decision to leave the band on the eve of the group's scheduled appearance in their hometown of Dallas on Sunday, June 12, resulting in the show's cancellation.

Jones officially joined DROWNING POOL in 2003 following the death of previous frontman Dave Williams. Jason went on to sing on the band's sophomore album, "Desensitized", which was released in April 2004 via Wind-Up Records, and spent most of the last year touring with the group in support of the CD.

A relative unknown, Gong had previously auditioned for the then-vacant singer slot in SEPULTURA during the Brazilian band's vocalist search in 1997 and was briefly a member of CHOP SHOP, the short-lived Los Angeles group led by ex-MANHOLE guitarist Scott Ueda. Prior to joining DROWNING POOL, Jones was linked with a project formed by ex-FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares (with whom he recorded a three-song demo) and was believed to be involved with FIVE-O-CLOCK, a short-lived group featuring former AMEN guitarist Sonny Mayo, ex-WHITE ZOMBIE drummer Ivan De Prume and bassist Stevo Bruno.

The 30-year-old Williams was found dead on the DROWNING POOL tour bus on August 14, 2002 while the band were touring as part of the U.S. Ozzfest. An inquest into the singer's death in September 2002 concluded that the vocalist died from cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease for which he was never diagnosed. No traces of drugs were found in Williams' system, finally dispelling widespread speculation about the cause of his death.

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