Rock icon Joan Jett has cancelled two upcoming shows due to needing to undergo surgery. As reported by People, she and her band, Blackhearts, were set to play two festivals: California's Orange County Fair; and Kentucky's Bourbon & Beyond Festival.
Jett's team took to social media to announce the cancellations of the shows. "Following a recent injury, Joan Jett has undergone orthopedic surgery on a fractured vertebrae and will begin the necessary healing process," it read.
"In close consultation with her doctors, Joan will not be able to perform at her forthcoming September scheduled shows in Costa Mesa, CA on September 5th and in Louisville, KY on September 24."
The statement went on to say that Joan didn't want to "disappoint" fans. However, she needed to "focus on physical therapy and healing".
The statement added that Jett was "looking forward to delivering tremendous concerts for many years to come."
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The Rock Icon Opened Up About Touring Pre-Surgery
Although this surgery appeared to be an unexpected setback for the rock icon, she says that she's been finding touring a little harder recently.
"[I've been touring] every year of my life since I've been in a band," she recalled in a June interview. "So the touring I don't mind. It's the traveling that's an ass-kicker, I'll tell you."
She also explained that her age wasn't a helpful factor in all of this. "As I get older, it's not easy to recuperate as when I was in my 20s."
But, she still enjoys the "connection with people" that touring brings her. "Especially these days, we need [connection] more than ever." She also said that when bands play, "we can all finally be one for a moment, as clichéd as that sounds. But it's true."
"When you can lose yourself in that moment," she added, "it's not about thinking about what's going to happen. You just do it - you just be it."
It is unclear whether she will need any more time than the two shows she's taken to recuperate. That all depends on how the recovery process goes.
In any case, we wish her well, and hope that she can get back to touring soon.
