JUDAS Priest has been forced to postpone their US tour after guitarist Richie Faulkner was hospitalized.
They confirmed that the 41-year-old was taken into care on Monday and is being treated for a “major heart condition.”
A statement from the band’s social media read: “It is with deep regret that we have to postpone the rest of our U.S. tour.
“Richie Faulkner has major medical heart condition issues which have landed him in the hospital where he is being treated.
“In the meantime, we are all sending love to our Falcon to wish him a speedy recovery.”
The band was currently in the middle of their 50th-anniversary tour called the 50 Heavy Metals Years Tour – which had already been rescheduled because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The group performed on Sunday at Louder Than Life in Louisville, Kentucky.
The group’s next date was initially scheduled for Wednesday in Denver. They will continue the tour through October in the U.S., then head to Canada for three dates in November before moving on to Europe for the next year.
“As soon as we have any updates from his doctors on when we can reschedule the dates we will of course announce them,” The band closed their show.
The band also stated that tickets purchased previously will still be valid for the new dates.
The Birmingham -based group has already revealed plans to drop a 50th-anniversary box set next month as part of their tour.
They are believed to have sold 50,000,000 albums worldwide since their formation in 1969.
They are considered one of the most influential metal bands ever.