Ex-Black Sabbath Frontman Announces Retirement From Touring Ahead of Open-Heart Surgery

Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple and former Black Sabbath fame is retiring from touring. He talked about this in a recent Facebook announcement.

The 74-year-old is going to be undergoing open-heart surgery. Therefore, after “making records and touring globally for 58 years,” he’s decided to stop performing for the foreseeable future.

“This past year, I’ve had some health issues,” the rocker elaborated in his post. “The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team that I need another open-heart surgery.”

He continued, saying, “I really have no option and no choice as health is my number one priority. Grateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music… Thank you for walking beside me.”

Hughes replaced Roger Glover as bassist in the British rock band Deep Purple in 1973. He also ended up splitting lead vocal duties with co-lead singer David Coverdale. Hughes was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Deep Purple in 2016. In the late 70s, he started to pursue a solo career, and in the mid-80s, he served as Black Sabbath’s frontman for a time.

This March, Hughes was originally slated to embark on a six-week U.S. tour. The tour was to include performances of tracks from his Chosen album along with music from his past endeavors. In January, the rocker decided to cancel that tour.

Now, it seems as though fans will not be getting a live performance from the rocker for quite some time, if ever.

Glenn Hughes Calls Out Attention-Seekers Online

We all know that social media can be a harsh place, especially when it comes to making big announcements. In a comment under his post, Hughes made a point to call out those who might have negative things to say about his decision online.

“This is not a day that I was not looking forward to,” he wrote underneath the announcement. “99.9% of you understand my predicament, but a very small minority of you, think it’s OK to joke, trying to get attention, is not the way to live & breathe.”

He concluded his statement, saying: “…All my social networks have been a safe place, with a great camaraderie between myself and all of you. At this time in my life, I have lived and done it all musically, and have surrounded myself with family and friends, who are all on the same page. Be kind to one another.”

Photo by: Javier Bragado/Redferns