Ex-W.A.S.P. Guitarist CHRIS HOLMES's May 2026 Tour Was Canceled Due To 'A Minor Prostate Issue'

A "minor prostate issue" forced the cancelation of former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes's previously announced tour of the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, scheduled for May 2026.

A week after it was announced by the social media of The Abyss club in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Holmes was scheduled to perform on May 27, that the 67-year-old musician was scrapping his shows in May "due to health issues that require immediate attention", his wife/manager Catherine Holmes shared the following update: "First, thank you for your patience. Sometimes people forget that behind the music, the noise, and the stage lights, there are real human beings — with real lives, real bodies, and real little health issues like everyone else. The only difference is that when something happens to them, it ends up on social media and suddenly becomes bigger than it is.

"To everyone who reached out with kindness for Chris: thank you. Truly. Your messages touched us more than you know. You care about the man as much as the artist, and that means everything.

"Now, let me be clear. The message that ended up online was for promoters. The decision to postpone the May tour was mine — as his wife and as his manager. Nothing mysterious, nothing dramatic, simply because at his age, some small things — like prostate issues (many men know exactly what I mean) — are better handled right away and I wanted this small issue fixed now so it doesn't interfere with future projects and shows. A misunderstanding happened. It's life. We all make mistakes.

"So: Chris has a minor prostate issue, nothing that threatens his projects, his tours, or his fire. It's already being taken care of, and he'll be back on his feet and on stage soon.

"To those who support Chris with heart and respect: we send that love right back to you. We love you all."

In February 2022, Holmes was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer, and he immediately postponed his touring commitments while he received treatment. He completed seven weeks of radiation therapy and five months later, he shared the good news with fans that his cancer was "gone".

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, the guitarist returned to W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Chris has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

In 2021, Holmes told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that W.A.S.P. was "a group, a band" on the first LP. "And after that, the second album, it wasn't a group — it was a one-man show," he said. "And it's been a one-man show after that ever since. It's the way it is. Look at the records. It's the way it is in that band."

According to Chris, he, guitarist Randy Piper, drummer Tony Richards and Blackie Lawless were all part of W.A.S.P. initial management contract, but Blackie was the only one signed to the record label. "Everybody thinks we [all] signed to the label, but it wasn't [like that]," Holmes told "Trunk Nation".

Despite the fact that he only got songwriting credit on a couple of the songs on each of the first four W.A.S.P. records, Holmes was adamant that his input was essential to the band's overall sound.

"If I would have quit after the first album, the way I play guitar, the way I play is really important to writing those songs," he told "Trunk Nation".

"If I hadn't joined in the beginning, it would have never worked. Blackie told me that the first day, when he came and talked to me to play in W.A.S.P. He says, 'I've got this band. It's not gonna work unless you're in it.' He told me that to my face."

Image credit: Perry Denton