KIX Guitarist RONNIE YOUNKINS Headed Back To Rehab

KIX guitarist Ronnie Younkins will once again be checking in to rehab to be treated for alcohol abuse, his bandmates have revealed.

Younkins missed a KIX concert in Pennsylvania last month when the rest of the band was unable to reach him. He was eventually found "not in great condition and very upset," according to TMZ.

In a new statement posted on the KIX Facebook page, the group wrote: "Thank you for your concern about our dear friend Ronnie. Our hearts and prayers go out to him and his family, and we wish him the best on his continued journey toward recovery.

"As we all well know, the road to recovery is not easy, but with the support of family, friends, and fans too, this difficult time becomes just a little easier to manage.

"Ronnie is currently headed to a rehab facility and will be in good hands. Brian will once again fill Ronnie's shoes until Ronnie is ready to return to KIX, to his side of the stage, which is waiting for him."

In a December 2015 interview with the Rock N Roll Experience, KIX guitarist Brian Forsythe confirmed that Younkins went back to rehab earlier that year to receive treatment for alcohol addiction. Forsythe said at the time: "[Ronnie returned to rehab] for a little bit — for a month and a half, two months. He did kind of a refresher course. He had been sober for a long time and then had this relapse, so we had to stick him back in there just to get him back on track."

KIX frontman Steve Whiteman told Sleaze Roxx two years ago that Younkins's substance abuse problems date back to the early '80s when the guitarist was briefly replaced by Brad Divens. "Ronnie has an addictive personality," Steve explained. "Ronnie has had his battles with drug problems throughout his life, and at that point, he was of no good to us, so we had to find a replacement for that period of time. Brad was a young guy in the area and we moulded him into what we needed for another guitar player. So he came in and did a great job and recorded 'Cool Kids' with us. And then we got wind that Ronnie had recovered and gotten better. It just felt weird not having Ronnie in the band. So when we knew that he was ready to come back, we got him back and cut Brad loose and set him off to — what's the name of the band? — WRATHCHILD AMERICA was his next band. And he did quite well after that.'

Younkins, a founding member of KIX, told The Frederick News-Post in a 2014 interview that he had been abusing hard drugs and alcohol for a while before he hit his rock bottom while the band was promoting its 1988 album "Blow My Fuse". "My drinking and drugging went overboard," he said. The guitarist checked himself in to rehab, an experience that turned his life around. Out on tour, he played gigs at night and attended addiction meetings during the day. "I took it seriously," he said. "And it saved my life."

Last October, KIX released the "Can't Stop The Show: The Return Of Kix" two-disc DVD/CD set via Loud & Proud Records. The 71-minute film was an in-depth look into KIX's decision to record their first new album, 2014's "Rock Your Face Off", in almost twenty years.