Bonnie Raitt cancels and postpones tour dates due to ‘medical situation’ that requires surgery

An undisclosed “medical situation” involving surgery has forced Bonnie Raitt to cancel or postpone a handful of shows.

The legendary blues musician has been on the road as part of her Just Like That… Tour which ran from April to November last year and resumed last March.

“Bonnie has a medical condition that requires surgery. The doctors say that in order to heal properly, they would not recommend her for a few weeks,” said a statement shared on her official Instagram page on Friday.

The time required for the surgery and her recovery overlapped five tour dates in May.

Raitt and the band had to cancel their performance at Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend in Miramar Beach, Florida on May 14.

The good news about the other four affected dates is that they are all being rescheduled, two of which have already been given new dates.

The May 19 show at the Louisville Palace Theater in Louisville, Kentucky has been moved to June 30, 2023, while the previous May 20 date at the Murat Theater at the Old National Center in Indianapolis, Indiana is now played on July 1.

The new dates for the other two postponed shows: May 17 at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia and May 23 at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are still pending.

The statement continued: “We apologize for this delay and inconvenience,” the statement continued. “It’s always sad to have to disappoint her fans, band, crew and our promoters, but sometimes unforeseen things happen.”

Team Raitt ended the announcement by assuring she is in “good hands” while thanking fans for all the support and well wishes.

“She was so looking forward to these shows, but we are delighted to resume our 2023 tour, which now kicks off June 1 in Dublin, Ireland,” the statement concluded.

Concertgoers are urged to keep their tickets so that they can be used for the rescheduled concert dates.

The ongoing tour is in support of her 18th studio album, Just Like That…, which was released in April 2022.

Consisting of the singles Made Up Mind, Something’s Got A Hold Of My Heart and Livin’ For The Ones, Just Like That… reached number one on six Billboard charts and number 44 on the Billboard 200.

The lead single Made Up Mind won the Grammy for Best Americana Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in February.

In addition, her latest release was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, while the title track won the Grammy for Song Of The Year and Best American Roots Song.

Closing: The blues musician was ordered not to perform for two weeks in order to recover properly after the operation

Flying high: Raitt has been on the road on her Just Like That… Tour since April 2022; she is pictured after winning three Grammys at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in February, including for Song Of The Year for the title track of her most recent studio album

After receiving the Song Of The Year award from US First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Raitt revealed the song was inspired by her friend and fellow musician John Prine, who died after battling the coronavirus in 2020.

“I was so inspired for this song by the incredible story of the love, the grace and the generosity of one who donates their loved one’s organs to help another live,” Raitt shared of the inspiration for the lyrics, as reported by People.

“And this story was so simple and so beautiful for this time. And people have commented on the song, partly because of how much I love John Prine and we all love John Prine, and that was the inspiration for the music for this song, and tell this story from the inside,” she explained.

“I don’t write many songs, but I’m so proud that you appreciate this one.”