Steven Page

Steven Page, 38, was arrested in July 2008 and charged with drug possession after police found the singer with cocaine at an upstate New York apartment. In October, the charges were reduced to a misdemeanor. "By mutual agreement, Steven Page will be parting company with the remaining members of Barenaked Ladies," the band said on its Web site, saying Page would be pursuing solo projects.

The five-man group was best known for hit songs such as "One Week", "Pinch Me" and "If I Had a Million Dollars" and received two Grammy nominations. The remaining members of the band plan to stay together. "These guys are my brothers. We've grown up together over the past twenty years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future," the statement quoted Page as saying. It did not mention the drug bust.

Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page has announced he is leaving the Canadian pop group after more than two decades. "Yes, it's official. I am no longer a Barenaked Lady. After 20 years (plus a few months,) I'm heading out on my own," Page wrote in a posting on his official Web site. A message on the band's official Web site said the Barenaked Ladies plan to continue performing together without Page, the National Post said. "These guys are my brothers. We've grown up together over the past 20 years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future," Page said in a statement on the band's Web site.