Back in late March, it was announced that all of WHITESNAKE‘s previously announced touring activities, including this summer’s U.S. trek with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE and NIGHT RANGER, were being canceled so that frontman David Coverdale could undergo surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia. In a new tweet, Coverdale offered an update on his condition, saying that he was able to get the operation at the Renown facility in his hometown of Reno, Nevada.
“Finally!!! I was able to have hernia surgery!!!” he wrote Tuesday night (September 8). “A 1,000 thanks to ALL the caring, loving & incredible professionals at Renown for taking such good care of me… & to YOU, my Beauties…have a blessed day/night Wherever You Are, Know You Are Loved. Stay Safe & Well!!!”
This past May, it was announced that Renown was resuming limited medical and surgical procedures following more than six weeks of suspension due to efforts to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus pandemic.
In a June interview with the 107.1 The Boss radio station, Coverdale spoke about having to wait to undergo the procedure, describing his pain as “more than a hernia. It’s like I have a fresh chicken pushed down my underpants. It’s like I’ve got a backpack on the front.
“I haven’t been able to have the surgery, as career-threatening as it is, ’cause I can’t project loud and sing the kind of songs people know,” he continued. “It’s painful, and it actually gets me out of some of the domestic work here [at home], [because] I can’t do too much heavy lifting.
“As it isn’t a life-threatening situation, I’m not in line yet to have the surgery,” he added. “It’s an interesting time. And with my age, it’s probably gonna be a three- or four-month recovery period.”
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.
WHITESNAKE had been touring in support of its latest album, “Flesh & Blood”, which was released in May 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.
WHITESNAKE recently launched the “Red, White And Blues” trilogy, a series of fresh, new collections organized by musical themes that will include “Love Songs” (red), “The Rock Album” (white) and “The Blues Album” (blue).
“The Rock Album” was made available on June 19 on CD ($14.98), and as a double-LP set pressed on 180-gram, white vinyl ($31.98). The music is also available through digital and streaming services. The collection features the debut of “Always The Same”, a previously unreleased song that was recorded during the 2019 sessions for “Flesh & Blood”.
Finally!!! I was able to have hernia surgery!!! A 1,000 thanks to ALL the caring, loving & incredible professionals at Renown for taking such good care of me…❤️❤️❤️
& to YOU, my Beauties…have a blessed day/night Wherever You Are, Know You Are Loved. Stay Safe & Well!!! ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/U2FbSvKUM4— David Coverdale (@davidcoverdale) September 9, 2020