I get where you're coming from, but unless there's a *really* good explanation as to why he left the way he did (mid-tour, without prior notice so that Jon could've called Phil earlier, etc.), then he's a dick, if only for doing exactly that! That's the core issue, I believe. And it's so damn unprofessional, and some other things I can't seem to find the right words for at the moment, that I simply cannot forgive him.

Now as I said, if he did have a good reason - and I would probably only let Jon firing or insulting him badly (or something along that lines) count - then I'd have to reassess my judgement on him, quite obviously. But it seems very unlikely, giving Richie's past, character, Jon's perfectionism (he would've *never*, *ever* put on a show without a lead guitarist, if he had fired Richie and had enough time to get a replacement), and so on...