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Morgan Wallen shared some devastating news with his fans on May 9. The country singer is in the midst of his “One Night at a Time” Tour but will be taking a pause from his scheduled performances for six weeks.
Wallen, a former contestant on “The Voice,” shared in an Instagram reel that he will be taking a “vocal rest” after being diagnosed with “vocal fold trauma.” Vocal folds are another term for vocal cords according to the Cleveland Clinic. The University of Pennsylvania Medicine states that vocal cord strain is caused by “overuse” and is commonly found among “singers, actors, teachers, and public speakers.”
Having to step aside from his music, Wallen postponed the next six weeks of shows. This includes 12 stops on his tour.
The cities that were set to host Wallen include Hershey, Pennsylvania on May 18, two nights in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 19-20, and shows in Houston and Austin, Texas on May 24 and May 26. The June shows impacted include a pair of nights in Atlanta on June 1 and June 2, and two shows at Virginia Beach on June 8 and June 9. The three performances in Pennsylvania, which were to be at Pittsburgh on June 14 and June 15 as well as Philadelphia on June 17 wer also postponed.
Morgan Wallen Doesn’t Want to ‘Permanently Damage’ his Voice
In his Instagram video that went up on May 9, the “You Proof” singer began by saying that he has “bad news” to share as he explained what the doctors he visited at the Vanderbilt Voice Center in Nashville had diagnosed.
He went to the facility after taking 10 days off. This first began when he backed out of his April 23 show in Oxford, Mississippi. He proceeded to do the same for April 27 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 28 in Moline, Illinois, and then April 29 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Wallen returned after his brief absence for his run of shows in Florida where he said in his video that he “felt terrible” after the third night. This included three straight nights performing in Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, and Tampa from May 4 to May 6.
Per his doctor’s advice, Wallen said in the video that if he takes some time away he can “get back to 100%.”
“They also said that if I don’t listen and I keep singing, I’ll permanently damage my voice,” he said. “So for the longevity of my career, this is the choice I had to make. I hate it but I love you guys.”
The video also saw him reveal that he tore his Latissimus dorsi muscle, which is located on the back, on a trip to Australia. Wallen believes the time off to heal his vocal cord strain will also allow him enough time to heal his tear.
Morgan Wallen Will Miss His ACM Award Show Performance
Inside that six-week rest period he will be taking, Wallen will also miss his scheduled Academy of Country Music Awards appearance. He was set to perform at the event on May 11. During last year’s awards show, Kelly Clarkson performed a tribute to Dolly Parton.
Wallen, who appeared on season 6 of “The Voice,” is nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year at the ACMs. In addition, “Sand In My Boots” is up for Single of The Year.
On March 3, Wallen released his third studio album, “One Thing at a Time.” There are 36 tracks, including four singles, that comprise the track list.