WHITESNAKE Cancels Remainder Of European Tour 'Due To Continuing Health Challenges'

WHITESNAKE has canceled the remainder of its European tour "due to continuing health challenges."

Earlier today, the band's frontman David Coverdale released the following statement via social media: "It is with the deepest sadness that I must announce that due to continuing health challenges, doctor's orders, and our concern for everyone's health and safety, WHITESNAKE is unable to continue its European Farewell Tour.

"I extend my sincere apologies to All of WHITESNAKE's Amazing Fans who have been looking forward to the remaining scheduled shows of this tour, All of our Amazing, Fabulous Snakes & tour personnel who have been working so hard to put on these shows, and All of the promoters and other professionals who have helped set up the tour… I Appreciate & Love You All!!!"

Late last month, WHITESNAKE scrapped three shows on the tour due to an infection of the sinus and trachea suffered by Coverdale.

David, who turned 70 in September, was not the first member of WHITESNAKE to fall ill during the group's current European tour. Guitarist Reb Beach missed several shows on the trek last month after being "under the weather." On June 25, WHITESNAKE canceled its show at the Rock Imperium festival in Spain due to the fact that drummer Tommy Aldridge "went down" and "was bad enough at the time to have missed the first show ever in his career," according to Coverdale.

WHITESNAKE launched its farewell tour on May 10 at Dublin, Ireland's 3Arena. The band's 14-song set, which was part of a European tour with special guests EUROPE and co-headliners FOREIGNER, marked WHITESNAKE's inaugural performance with the group's two latest two additions, keyboardist, guitarist and backing vocalist Dino Jelusick, and Irish bassist Tanya O'Callaghan.

WHITESNAKE kicked off the concert with "Bad Boys" / "Children Of The Night" and played a set which drew heavily from the "Trouble" (1978),"Ready An' Willing" (1980),"Saints & Sinners" (1982),"Slide It In" (1984),"Whitesnake" (1987) and "Flesh & Blood" (2019) albums. WHITESNAKE also performed its staple cover of "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City", a 1974 R&B song written by Michael Price and Dan Walsh, and first recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland for the "Dreamer" album.

Coverdale had both his knees replaced with titanium in 2017 after suffering from degenerative arthritis. He later explained that he was in so much pain with arthritis in his knees that it hampered his ability to perform live.

Prior to the pandemic, WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.