Earlier this month, Asia founding member Geoff Downes announced that he had rebuilt the band for an upcoming tour to celebrate their hit debut album. Downes tapped John Mitchell, Virgil Donati, and Harry Whitley for the tour. While some fans are ready to see and hear their favorite songs live once again, others aren’t happy about the new incarnation of the band. Some fans believe tha the band should have ended after John Wetton, the band’s original bassist and lead vocalist died in 2017. Recently, his widow responded to those fans.
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The band formed in 1981 and the original lineup only stayed together for two years. Since then, Asia has seen several personnel changes. However, the original lineup reunited for a brief period in 2006. Downes has been the only constant member of the band since its formation.
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John Wetton’s Widow, Lisa, Comments on the New Asia Lineup
In a recent statement, Lisa Wetton shut down the complaints of angry fans. “When my beloved husband John Wetton realized that he was coming to the end of his life, he revealed in earnest, the wish for his musical legacy to be upheld by those who were closest to him,” she said. “Consequently, and with great passion, Geoff Downes has been at the forefront of keeping that wish alive by touring the music of Asia throughout the past seven years,” she added.
“It would be easy for me to dismiss Asia without its other band members, proclaiming that it’s not really the band so there’s no point in them going on. There’s a problem with this statement. John Wetton himself would have endorsed this tour as he wanted the music to live on,” she continued. “He would have wanted the name to remain as long as Geoff leads the way. Changing the name would go against John’s wishes,” Wetton pointed out. “This is still Asia.”
“I have seen it and feel comfortable with this current lineup. Everyone you will see on the stage (aside from Harry) has worked with John in different projects,” she added. “The current lineup gives the music a fresh energy which I haven’t experienced since John was alive.”
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