REM have amicably split after thirty one years. A message on the band's website reads "To our Fans and Friends: As REM, and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band and walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening. REM". Frontman Michael Stipe added "A wise man once said – ‘the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave.’ We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it … I hope our fans realize this wasn't an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.”
Photo (c) 2003 The Television Company (London) Ltd