STRYPER Hits the Road Without Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz

By Timothy Yap Mar 21, 2016 05:56 PM EDT

Multi-platinum rock band Stryper will hit the road this Spring, though presidential candidate Ted Cruz will not be part of the show. To the band's surprise, frontman Michael Sweet found himself at the center of the latest internet rumor last week when a social media post showed a side-by-side photo comparison of Sweet and the presidential candidate, questioning if they might be the same person. Within days, the post had gone viral, becoming a top trending topic on Facebook for over three days.

The viral post has received an incredible amount of media attention ranging from news outlets like CNN, Fox News and Breitbart, to entertainment coverage from Playboy, Perez Hilton, BuzzFeed, Esquire, The Daily Dot and many more.

"It is so mind boggling at times what goes viral," said Sweet, to NBC 5 in Dallas Fort-Worth, while admitting to CNN, "I don't really see the resemblance."

The band will tour this spring in support of their new album, FALLEN (Frontiers Music SRL) before launching a world tour this fall marking the 30th anniversary of the band's historic album release, To Hell with the Devil. Dates for this fall's To Hell with the Devil Tour, which will be booked by William Morris Endeavor (WME), will be announced at a later date. For spring tour dates and exclusive VIP Meet & Greet packages, visit www.stryper.com.

Rocking since 1984, Stryper is responsible for such classic '80s metal albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil and In God We Trust. In fact, Stryper is the first band to ever have two songs in MTV's Top 10 simultaneously with their hits "Free" and "Honestly." After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, Stryper returned strong in the early 21st century. To date, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated band has sold over 10 million records worldwide.

Unlike many of their counterparts, Stryper is comprised of all four original members with Michael Sweet on vocals and guitar, Robert Sweet on drums, Tim Gaines on bass and Oz Fox on guitar.

For more information, visit www.stryper.com.