The Mavericks will release a new album and embark on a tour next year, but a familiar face will be missing. Bassist and vocalist Robert Reynolds, one of the group's founding members, has been fired due to an opiate addiction.

According to Rolling Stone Country, Paul Deakin, Raul Malo, Jerry Dale McFadden and Eddie Perez fired Reynolds in October, but they've known about Reynolds' problems since around the time they were recording their 2013 reunion album 'In Time.'

"I knew about it from before the band got back together. There were many signs when he first came back into the studio. I confronted him about it, and he denied," Deakin says. "When he finally admitted it, I said, 'I'm not going to sign these [record] contracts until you go into rehab.' On three separate occasions we put him in different forms of rehab over the past three years."

Adds Malo, "This is the worst thing I've ever seen as far as addiction. He's far gone."

The remaining Mavericks stress that they did not make this decision lightly; in fact, it's been a long time coming.

"This is not something that happened overnight," Deakin explains. "We would have countless meetings on it. I remember one of the first times when we talked, shortly after the band [reunited], Raul and I went out with him in London, Ontario, Canada, and sat him down and said, 'You need to do something.' That's when he went to outpatient rehab."

None of the attempts at rehab worked, though, and when Reynolds' problems began taking their toll on the band's professional life, the group knew their only remaining option was to fire him.

"[In October], we realized that Addict Robert does not give a f--k about what's going on here," Deakin says.

Deakin, Malo, McFadden and Perez say one of their reasons for revealing Reynolds' addiction is that they discovered that Reynolds had been asking fans for money, and they were concerned about how far the band's loyal followers would go to help him if they didn't know the full story.

"It's like, man, what if he hits somebody up for five grand, and then they go, 'Why didn't you guys tell us anything?'" Malo says. "And now we put this fan in harm's way, and they're out five grand because we didn't have the balls to say anything about it."

Unfortunately, Reynolds' wife Angie is fighting cancer right now as well. When the group revealed on their website in October that Reynolds was "tak[ing] time to attend to personal matters," many concluded that those personal matters were her treatment and recovery, not his addiction.

"There are so many emotions that are mixed up in it," Deakin says. "You're sad, you're pissed, you're confused. You're like, 'F--k, this sucks!'"

The Mavericks say, however, that they would welcome Reynolds back with open arms, if he gets clean and goes to rehab, which they're willing to help pay for.

"We've gotten word to him, but I don't think he will take our calls right now. I think he feels betrayed, as addicts do," says Deakin. "That's the sad part of addiction."

Adds Malo, "But the reality is, even if he goes to rehab tomorrow, it's going to be a long time. He's got to work the program and make sure it sticks."

Still, the four men hope Reynolds will confront and overcome his addiction so that he can enjoy the band's success with them.

"I feel a little angry and upset because, man, he should be here enjoying this with us," Perez says. "We are having such a ball and are excited about this next chapter we're doing, but Robert and his addiction are keeping him away."

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