Credit: Katarina BenzovaWhitesnake frontman David Coverdale delivered some unfortunate news today via a video posted on his group’s social media pages — he’s canceling all remaining 2020 tour dates on the band’s schedule because he needs to undergo a hernia operation.
The cancellation announcement comes after Whitesnake postponed a tour of Japan this month because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters, once again, it breaks my heart to be the bearer of even more sad news in this ever increasingly challenging year,” Coverdale, 68, says in the clip. “All Whitesnake tours — Europe, U.K. and the U.S. — are canceled, owing to personal health issues I have, which require surgery, basically, as soon as I can get [it]. I’ve been diagnosed with bilateral hernias, which are very, very painful when I sing.”
He adds, “I can only apologize to you, to my amazing band and crew, to all the promoters out there. All the tours looked amazing. To Sammy Hagar, to Foreigner and Europe, I’m really sorry. I love you with all my heart, and hopefully we’ll meet again along the road soon.”
Whitesnake had been scheduled to tour Europe with Foreigner and the band Europe in May and June, and also was part of a U.S. package tour with Sammy Hagar & The Circle and Night Ranger that was slated to run from July into September.
Whitesnake’s latest studio album, Flesh & Blood, was released in 2019.
In other news, a limited-edition, two-LP, red-vinyl version of the band’s 1984 album, Slide It In, featuring a 35th anniversary remix of the record, will be released on April 10. The recent remix of the album first appeared on a deluxe 35th anniversary Slide It In reissue that came out in 2019.
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— David Coverdale (@davidcoverdale) March 23, 2020