On Sunday, November 27, 2022, David Hicks from the Band of Oz shared a message on his Facebook page that read: "I would like to quell a rumor before it gets spread. Rumor has it that we fired Dustin. This is completely false. Dustin has decided to pursue other interests in the coming year and we all remain good friends. We wish nothing but the best for Dustin and I am sure he wishes the same for the band."
Dustin also provided an update on his Facebook page which reads: "Some of you may have seen the news of my departure from Band Of Oz…I wanted to share from my heart about it for all the wonderful Carolina Beach Music family members I have met along the way… My decision to leave is one I sat on for months…it is not one I made hastily or easily…Read the full post below!
On Tuesday, November 29, 2022 David Franks also shared on his Facebook page about his retirement from the band. "Good morning beach music fans and friends of the Band Of Oz. I feel I must make a statement about my retirement and explain a few things. Let me say first that no, the band is not falling apart. It was quite a coincidence that Dustin and I both gave a notice to quit at the same time. We both will play till New Year's Eve. I cannot state Dustin's reasons for leaving, only mine. Over the last few years, I have started developing problems with my hands." Read the full post below!
We'd like to wish Dustin and David all of the best and we will certainly miss seeing them both on stage with BOZ. So much talent between the two and we know their band family will miss having them on stage and on the road. We had the pleasure of enjoying the band this past Sunday, November 27, 2022 at the Sunday after Thanksgiving Beach Music Festival where the Band of Oz closed out the show after the Feature Attraction Band and Blackwater. We know the Band of Oz will continue to do what they do best with the new additions to the band lineup and we can't wait to catch another show soon!
Original posts!
If you have trouble reading the shared articles above please find the text versions below:
From David Hicks - I would like to quell a rumor before it gets spread. Rumor has it that we fired Dustin. This is completely false. Dustin has decided to pursue other interests in the coming year and we all remain good friends. We wish nothing but the best for Dustin and I am sure he wishes the same for the band.
From Dustin Ahkuoi - Some of you may have seen the news of my departure from Band Of Oz…I wanted to share from my heart about it for all the wonderful Carolina Beach Music family members I have met along the way… My decision to leave is one I sat on for months…it is not one I made hastily or easily… When I am not working with BOZ I do a handful of other things independently as a creative. A large percentage of my “free time” is and will continue to be spent writing and recording for myself and others. Over the past year specifically…these efforts have ramped up significantly enough to where I need more time off than I currently have the ability to take. I reached out to David about a month ago and let him know my desire to move on and he was incredibly kind and receptive towards me…and everyone else in the band has been that way as well. My time in BOZ has been one I will cherish and remember always. I came into the Beach Music world not knowing a soul and I was so grateful for how I was embraced and treated like family right away. I have learned so much as a performer and also as a man. I am thankful to have played a tiny role in carrying on a huge legacy the Band of Oz has created and sustained for over 50 years!
I admire and respect how BOZ took a dream as teenagers in the 60s and turned it into a Carolina musical institution now in the NC Music Hall of Fame. I smile thinking about the joy BOZ has been bringing to so many people night in and night out. I will still be in North Carolina, and will not be a stranger.  I hope to run into some of you at a future show I am attending in the crowd!  I’m looking forward to this last handful of performances I have with the boys leading up to the end of the year. Thanks to all who have shown me love as well as my family. Sending Shama Lama love back to all of you…be good to yourselves and others…I’ll see you again somewhere over the rainbow
From David Franks - Good morning beach music fans and friends of the Band Of Oz. I feel I must make a statement about my retirement and explain a few things. Let me say first that no, the band is not falling apart. It was quite a coincidence that Dustin and I both gave a notice to quit at the same time. We both will play till New Year's Eve. I cannot state Dustin's reasons for leaving, only mine. Over the last few years, I have started developing problems with my hands. I have growths underneath the skin that are causing my fingers to tighten and bend which is making it harder and harder to play. I have gotten arthritis in the joints which makes playing night after night painful. Along with this comes the bersitus in the shoulders. I am getting Physical Therapy on the shoulder but it's not helping much. In just a few months, I'll be turning 70. So, unfortunately I am aging out of this world of riding in cars and vans for hours then performing and riding again. I have to say that everyone in the band now and all those that I have ever played with are all still my brothers in music and friends for life. I have made many friends of the fans of Oz. Some are even best friends now. As for the band, all I can say is, there are things in the works right now. And just as a Phoenix rises from the ashes, Band Of Oz will only get better and stronger. I will miss seeing all your faces but I'll still be around. I can say that of all the musicians that have played in the band, other than the owners, I have put in the most time. I have played with the band for 28 years. So now, I have acquired a position at a DJ service in Raleigh. Bunn DJ Company has hired me to DJ weddings and corporate events. They offer a very flexible schedule and I can work as much or as little as I want. This is local work, so no long trips. If your getting married call Bunn DJ and request DJ Franker. I love you all and hope to see you on my next journey.
