Heart cancels 2024 tour after Ann Wilson reveals cancer diagnosis

‘This is merely a pause. I have much more to sing,’ Wilson said

Ann Wilson of Heart (Getty Images for God's Love We D)

Rock band Heart has canceled the rest of the dates on their 2024 Royal Flush Tour due to “medical reasons” involving lead singer Ann Wilson.

The “Barracuda” group made the announcement on Instagram on Tuesday (July 2), writing: “As of today, Heart’s Royal Flush Tour is postponed due to medical reasons.”

Wilson, 74, simultaneously posted a statement on her personal Instagram profile, sharing with fans: “I recently underwent an operation to remove something that, as it turns out, was cancerous. The operation was successful & I’m feeling great but my doctors are now advising me to undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy & I’ve decided to do it.

“And so my doctors are instructing me to take the rest of the year away from the stage in order to fully recover,” she said.

“To the ticket buyers, I really do wish we could do these gigs. Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025. My team is getting those details sorted & we’ll let you know the plan as soon as we can.

“Thank you all for the support. This is merely a pause. I’ve much more to sing,” Wilson concluded, noting that “this is the last public statement I’d like to make on the matter.”

Heart kicked off the North American leg of their tour with special guest Cheep Trick on April 20 in Greenville, South Carolina. They were scheduled to continue their North American tour until the end of the year, making stops in major cities including Montreal, Canada; Cincinnati, Ohio; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; Greenbay, Wisconsin and Las Vegas, Nevada.

The cancelation of their North American tour comes weeks after they announced in May that they were canceling all their upcoming European dates.

At the time, it was disclosed that “Ann Wilson will undergo a time-sensitive but routine medical procedure for which the minimum recovery time is six weeks.”

“Heart deeply regrets this unfortunate circumstance and hopes to return to Europe soon,” the band said in a statement on Instagram.

In between their North American dates, they had planned to perform across Europe in countries including Berlin, Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; London, UK; and Weert, Netherlands.

Made up of sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Ryan Waters, Ryan Wariner, Paul Moak, bassist Tony Lucido and drummer Sean T Lane, Heart, which was formed in 1973, celebrated 50 years together last year. Following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, they reunited in 2019.

Heart has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. They’re best known for their hits “Barracuda,” “Alone,” “Crazy On You,” and “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You.”

“Barracuda” from their 1977 studio album, Little Queen, and “Crazy On You,” from their 1975 Dreamboat Annie record, were both written by Wilson in a fit of rage.

“Those are the ones that have the most immediacy. But it is physically exhausting, because I’m totally present for hours, just pouring into this thing,” she told The Independent in 2022.

“Songwriting’s never been easy for me,” Wilson admitted. “It’s always been difficult. I’m constantly trying to come up with something original, something that’s never been done before. But it’s like we’re all living in this culture where there’s so much music playing, and so many ideas, and they sort of fill you by osmosis. And so you start hearing ideas, and then you realise that’s somebody else’s song and it’s just in your head.”