Update: It appears as though Phil Lewis is leaving L.A. Guns for L.A. Guns. In a Facebook posting, Frontiers Music SRL confirmed that while Lewis is exiting the version of L.A. Guns he's fronted for years, he is still working with Tracii Guns on a new studio album for 2017 that includes Shane Fitzgibbon on drums, Johnny Martin on bass and Michael Grant as a touring guitarist in another version of L.A. Guns. Read the post below:

Phil Lewis has exited L.A. Guns before and it appears that he will soon do it again. The band's singer/guitarist reveals in a new post that he'll be leaving the band's current lineup at the start of the New Year.

In a social media post, Lewis revealed that he feels he's gone as far as he can with the band and expressed his dissatisfaction with the inability of the group to record a new album over the last five years. His full posting can be read below:

Dear friends and fans. With a heavy heart I have to inform you that as of Jan 1, 2017 I will no longer be a member of this line up. I feel I have gone as far as I can in this band, and unless I get out and focus on myself and something new that has a future, I'm going to stagnate. For the last five years I've been enthusiastic to record a new record, Hollywood Forever really recharged my batteries and made me feel very proud to be in this band, but it feels like so long ago now. At this stage I want to walk away with at least a little dignity.
I want to thank you all for your solid support throughout the last 15 years. We've had the pleasure and honor of playing so many wonderful countries, and I've always made a point of getting out and meeting some of the best, most loyal fans in the business. Your smiling faces will always be a huge part of my adventure, and I want to say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You from the bottom of my heart. What's the point of making records or playing shows if you don't have fans for feedback, and I feel blessed to have so many cool people who treasure the music as much as I do as a part of our fan base.
I will continue writing, recording, and performing in the future. I have some solid plans, and I'm also open to where fate will take me on my musical adventure, and I sincerely hope if I'm anywhere near you, you'll come out and say hi and hear what I'm doing. I love rock and roll, it's been my religion and salvation for many decades, and I feel the fire burning in my soul to do more. I have no plans on slowing down or retiring anytime soon, so please don't be sad.
Wish me luck and please stay in touch. Goodbye.
Philip Lewis

Lewis was initially invited to join L.A. Guns in 1987 by Tracii Guns and remained with the band through 1995's Vicious Circle album. After participating in the band Filthy Lucre and producing albums for other artists, he returned to L.A. Guns in 1999 and continued to work on music with the group through 2012's Hollywood Forever album.

Lewis had reportedly reunited with Tracii Guns and had been playing shows with the L.A. Guns founder in recent months. There had been talk of the pair working on an album, but the current status of that pairing is not known.

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