Rush Postpone Two Shows After Geddy Lee Diagnosed With Laryngitis and Bronchitis

Rush announced that their remaining two dates of a four-show run at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, have been postponed after lead singer and bassist Geddy Lee was diagnosed with laryngitis and bronchitis.

In a statement shared on Tuesday to Rush’s official Instagram account, the band said that the June 30 and July 2 shows will now take place on July 11 and July 13, respectively. Lee was advised by doctors to “rest and recover before returning to the stage,” said the group. “This is incredibly disappointing for all of us. We know many of you have made travel plans and have been counting down the days to these shows. Please know this decision was not made lightly.”

The statement added, “After more than 50 years of touring, we’ve always believed that if we’re going to step on stage, we owe you the very best performance we can give — and right now, that simply isn’t possible.” Previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates. For fans unable to attend the new dates, refund information will be available from the original point of purchase.

In a video shared to the band’s social media account, guitarist Alex Lifeson said that Lee could “barely speak, let alone sing,” during soundcheck earlier in the day. “We’re really, really sorry. Really heartbroken,” Lifeson continued. “But we can’t do a show that’s not 100 percent. So, that’s our responsibility to you, and we live by that. We’ll see you soon.”

This is the second time the Canadian band has pushed back the dates. Last week, their originally scheduled June 24 show was postponed to July 2 due to “unforeseen travel and border-related delays” impacting production. Before the latest setback, Rush performed two shows on June 26 and June 28 in Fort Worth.