BREAKING: Morgan Wallen Placed On Strict Vocal Rest, Cancels Six Weeks Of Concerts And Appearances

Wallen revealed the unfortunate news to fans in an emotional video message.

By

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

May 9, 2023

at

12:08 pm

Share on:

Morgan Wallen; Photo Courtesy of David Lehr

Morgan Wallen has been placed on a strict six-week vocal rest and has been forced to cancel six weeks of upcoming tour dates, festival appearances, and his ACM Awards performance. 

The chart-topping country star took to social media with a somber video message, alerting fans of the unfortunate news. 

“What’s going on y’all, I’m just going to get straight to it. I got some bad news from my Doctor’s at the Vanderbilt Voice Center yesterday. After taking ten days of vocal rest, I performed three shows last weekend in Florida and by the third one I felt terrible,” he explained. “So, I went in and got scoped yesterday and they told me I injured my vocal cords and that I have vocal fold trauma. Their advice is that I go on vocal rest for six weeks. So that’s what I’m going to do. They want me to not talk at all, but they said it’s okay if I need to for something like this.”

Morgan Wallen; Photo Courtesy of David Lehr
Morgan Wallen; Photo Courtesy of David Lehr

The superstar went on to reveal another injury that took place when he was on tour in Australia. 

“I also tore my lat [latissimus dorsi]  while we were in Australia. I’ve been trying to work through that quietly, but this off is going to help me get that back right as well,” he also revealed.

He then shared that he and his team are currently working to reschedule upcoming tour dates and that he unfortunately won’t be able to perform at the ACM Awards or ACM Lifting Lives. 

“We’re working on rescheduling all the date during this time frame. We’ve almost got that done, but some of them are pending so I will keep you updated,” Morgan Wallen continued. ”I won’t be able to make these festivals that I have during this time frame, but we are going to make those right next year. I won’t be able to do the ACM Awards or the other event, which y’all make sure you still go it’s for a great cause.” 

Doctors warned Wallen that he must adhere to vocal rest, otherwise it could impact his voice in the future. 

“They told me that if I do this the right way that I’ll get back to 100% and they also said that if I don’t listen and if I keep singing that I permanently damage my voice. So for the longevity of my career this is just the choice I had to make,” he acknowledged. “I hate it, but I love you guys and I appreciate all the support that you always give me and I’ll see you soon and I’ll be back better than ever. God bless you.” 

Rescheduled tour dates and festival appearances will be announced soon. Upon the announcement of new dates, a 30-day refund window will open at the point of purchase. 

Wallen returned to the stage in Florida for a sold-out run of three shows over the weekend. Prior to taking the stage, Wallen shared a video message with his fans, confirming that the shows were still on.   

Morgan Wallen; Photo by Ryan Smith
Morgan Wallen; Photo by Ryan Smith

“What’s up everybody, I just wanted to let you know that I am in Jacksonville. We are going to play a show tonight,” Wallen said. 

He told fans that he wasn’t “100%” but that he was “doing a lot better.” The East Tennessee native also shared an update regarding his Mississippi concert. 

“To everyone in Oxford, I just wanted to reiterate how sorry I am for the way that went down,” he added. ”I thought I was going to be good to go and I just wasn’t. So we are working on a rescheduled date. We are close to a rescheduled date, I just don’t have the exact one yet. So as soon as I do I’ll let you know.” 

His return to the stage came after the abrupt cancellation of his April 23 concert. 

Morgan Wallen; Photo by Acacia Evans, CMA
Morgan Wallen; Photo by Acacia Evans, CMA

Following the Mississippi cancellation, Wallen was placed on vocal rest and was forced to postpone three concerts. 

The U.S. leg of the record-breaking trek kicked off with two sold-out shows at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in April. 

The One Night At A Time World Tour marks Wallen’s first-time ever headlining stadiums across the globe for multiple nights. 

Marking one of the largest tours of 2023 so far and the biggest tour of Wallen’s career, the lengthy trek will visit 30 stadiums, plus arenas, amphitheaters and festivals to fans across four countries and two continents. 

Morgan Wallen; Photo by David Lehr
Morgan Wallen; Photo by David Lehr

The North American leg of the trek will wrap up on October 7 at Tacoma Dome in Washington.

The tour, which kicked off in March with shows overseas in New Zealand and Australia, will return overseas this fall with stops in Canada before heading to The O2 in London on Dec. 3.

Produced by Live Nation, the trek will feature support from ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman on all dates. HARDY and Parker McCollum will also appear on select dates.

In an effort to give back to those in need, Wallen will donate $3 of every ticket sold on the U.S. dates to The Morgan Wallen Foundation. Established in 2021, the foundation benefits causes near and dear to the superstar’s heart, including organizations such as Greater Good Music, Children Are People, the Salvation Army, and the National Museum of African American Music.

Morgan Wallen - One Thing At A Time Album Art
Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time Album Art

The tour comes in support of his latest album, One Thing At A Time, which arrived on March 3. One Thing At A Time showcases Wallen’s wide range of musical influences as well as combine his love for country, rock and hip-hop. 

The project features 36 tracks, including duets with Eric Church, HARDY and ERNEST. Wallen’s sister Ashlyne also makes an appearance on the project, singing harmonies on the song titled “Outlook.” He also pays tribute to his son, Indigo (Indie) Wilder Wallen, on the project with the tune “Dying Man,” which he often dedicates to Indie during his live concerts.

“This record represents the last few years of my life, the highs and the lows,” Wallen previously shared in a statement. “It also brings together the musical influences that have shaped me as an artist – country, alternative and hip-hop.”

Additionally, Wallen recently earned four nominations at the 2023 ACM Awards, including the coveted Entertainer Of The Year, Male Artist Of The Year, Song Of The Year (“Sand In My Boots”) and Artist-Songwriter Of The Year.

YouTube video
Share on:

Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.