Ex-IRON MAIDEN Singer BLAZE BAYLEY Tests Positive For COVID-19, Pulls Out Of U.K.'s PLANET ROCKSTOCK

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley has canceled his appearance at U.K.'s Planet Rockstock after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The British heavy metal musician was due to play the main stage at the festival in Trecco Bay, South Wales on Saturday, November 13 before headliners THE DARKNESS.

Bayley's cancelation was announced via a post on his social media earlier today. It read: "We sincerely regret to announce that Blaze has been forced to pull out of his scheduled performance at Planet Rockstock (Trecco Bay, 13th November 2021) as he has Covid-19 & must now isolate for minimum 10 days. We're so very sorry to all fans that expected to see Blaze at this event & we really hope we're able to re-arrange the performance to Planet Rockstock 2022. Please join us in wishing Blaze a full & fast recovery. Stay safe & well."

Earlier this year, Blaze told Rocking With Jam Man that he had no idea what touring would look like post- pandemic. He said: "Nobody can say. I don't know what it will be like. I don't even know if it will start. The future is unknown. What we have to do is listen to what the World Health Organization says."

He added: "I think it's a different reality. And I don't think it's healthy to look at the future, and I don't think it's healthy to guess about it. We're not in the future, we're not living in the future — we're right here right now, and all the time that we try to live in the future and think about something better, we're not living right now. And this is when we have to live, and the decisions that we make each day and each moment right now, that will dictate our lives in the future. We have to live now. We have to rise up, we have to get up, take responsibility for our lives and try and do the best we can right now every day. Forget about the future — it's not coming, it's not here. Live now, and that way we might get to a future."

The 58-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, recorded two studio albums with IRON MAIDEN — 1995's "The X Factor" and 1998's "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group. The MAIDEN albums he appeared on sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

Blaze's latest solo album, "War Within Me", came out in April. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Christopher Appleton.