After twenty years as the bass player for the Christian band, Third Day, Tai Anderson has announced that he is leaving the band to focus on his personal life and family. The Grammy Award winning band released the following statement regarding Anderson’s departure on their Facebook page: “I am currently in a season of life where I find that God is leading me to place my identity as a child of God and as a husband and father above the touring lifestyle. Therefore, after a lot of prayerful consideration and discussion with my family, the members of the band and our incredible support team, we have all agreed that I should take a break from the upcoming touring season with Third Day. This decision obviously doesn’t come lightly – I’ve always been, and will remain THIRD DAY’s biggest fan.”
In 1992, at a performance at guitarist’s Mark Lee‘s church, Third Day performed with a band known as the Bullard Family Singers, featuring members David Carr and Tai Anderson. A few days later, Third Day invited Anderson and Carr to join Third Day. Despite Anderson’s departure, Third Day will be releasing their third worship album, Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship, on March 3, 2015. It includes a deluxe version featuring an additional disc of ten songs chosen by fans captured live on the road from their past tour performances. This will be the band’s twelfth album to date.
Regarding the upcoming worship album, vocalist Mac Powell stated, “We’ve wanted to do a worship album for quite a while but have been waiting for the right time. NOW is that time! I believe this is the best batch of songs that we have ever recorded.”
The hit Christian rock band, formed in 1991 in Marietta, Georgia, have been met with mostly positive reviews since the beginning. The band has many awards since its inception, including twenty Gospel Music Awards, four Grammy Awards, and an American Music Award in 2008. In 2009, they were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The band, whose name is referenced to the biblical accounts of Jesus’ rising from the dead on the third day following his crucifixion, have sold more than 10 million albums in the United States to date.