Clay Walker was forced to cancel a show in Hot Springs, Ark. on Saturday night (June 14), due to the fact that he was experiencing side effects from a medical procedure.
He didn’t specify what that procedure was, but said that it was intended to help him with his multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition he’s been living with since the mid-’90s.
In a social media post, the singer said that he hoped to be able to go ahead with the show, but as the concert got closer and closer, it became more apparent to him that he simply wasn’t going to be able to make it.
“I recently had a procedure that could really help my MS,” Walker explained in his statement. “Unfortunately I’ve got some side effects that have left me unable to perform tonight.”
“I really tried my best to pull through for you all, which is why I waited until this morning to make this call,” he continued. “I look forward to returning to Arkansas soon, and I’m bummed to miss you all tonight. We will see everyone back out on the road soon!”
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According to a social media statement from the venue, there are no plans to reschedule this show. “Our thoughts are with Clay Walker and we ask you to join us in wishing him better days in his health journey,” the statement added.
Walker was diagnosed with MS in 1996, when he was just 26 years old. By the time he was diagnosed, he’d become one of country music’s hottest stars with hits like “If I Could Make a Living” and “This Woman and This Man.”
As he underwent his own health battle Walker also launched the Clay Walker Foundation to help others with the disease; as of 2024, the foundation had raised $2.6 million toward MS research.
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