Neil Young cancels remainder of Crazy Horse tour for ‘big unplanned break’

Musician said members of his longtime backing group Crazy Horse had been taken ill

Neil Young has announced that the remaining dates of his tour with Crazy Horse have been cancelled.

The veteran musician shared the announcement on Wednesday (27 June), telling fans that he and his longtime backing group had been struck by illness. He did not specify who in the band had been affected.

Among the dates in question are three US shows Young had scheduled for late September at the Hollywood Bowl, the Eddie Vedder-founded Ohana fest in California, and the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Kentucky.

Seven dates Young had planned in Canada for July have also been cancelled.

In a statement shared to his website, Young said the unnamed band members had been taken ill after their last gig, which took place last month on 22 May at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.

“We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break,” the band said. “We will try to play some of the dates we miss as time passes when we are ready to rock again!

“We know many of you made travel plans and we apologise for the inconvenience.”

(Getty Images)

He concluded: “Health is [the number one priority]... We want to stay and do more shows and more albums for you... and for us... With love and thanks to all of you from Crazy Horse... Neil, Micah, Ralph and Billy... Love Earth.”

An additional statement from Ohana Festival on social media said: “We are sad to announce that Neil Young with Crazy Horse will no longer be performing at Ohana Festival 2024.

“Please stay tuned for a lineup update coming as soon as possible; in the meantime, we are wishing the band a speedy recovery.”

Young will release a new album this Friday (28 June).

The archival project, titled Early Daze, was recorded in 1969 with Crazy Horse and, as the Neil Young Archives website states, “showcases the band’s unique style at the end of the 1960s, capturing the essence of their live performances and their contribution to the evolution of rock and roll”.

In March, Young also announced his somewhat-reluctant return to Spotify, two years after he pulled his catalogue from the streaming platform.