The band canceled May tour dates due to Kinney’s health
Alice in Chains (AIC) drummer Sean Kinney has shared an update on his health that forced the band to cancel May 2025 tour dates. The drummer fell ill ahead of their planned show in Uncasville, CT last week, where he experienced a “non-life-threatening medical emergency.” Now, the co-founding member of the 90s grunge band has taken to social media to let fans know he’s going to be okay without revealing the circumstances.
“Firstly, to everyone who came out to the Mohegan Sun show and was affected by the short-notice cancellation, and to everyone who had tickets to come see the band at one of the other shows, thanks for your understanding. It’s not lost on the band and myself that you spend money, make plans and alter your schedules to come and see us, and it’s deeply disappointing to have had this happen,” Kinney shares in a post titled, “The Good, The Bad & The WTF?”
“I was very much looking forward to getting back out there and playing with the band again, and it’s been a difficult but necessary decision to make. I don’t personally utilize social media and I’m not particularly fond of my health issues being made public, but I understand that people are concerned. When the doctors advised me against playing in the short-term, I quickly went through The 5 Stages of Grief:
1. Denial (I’m fine)
2. Anger (F*** this – I’m still going to play)
3. Bargaining (What’s it gonna take for me to hear a better diagnosis?)
4. Depression (This sucks)
5. Acceptance (This sucks, but okay)
“I finally concluded that medical doctors with many hard-earned degrees on their walls might know a bit more about health than a musician with some shiny spray-painted records on his wall. The outpouring of love, concern and well wishes has been both extremely humbling and very much appreciated.
“The good news is that I’m going to be fine and I’m going to live.
“The bad news (for some of you?) is that I’m going to be fine and I’m going to live.”
Canceled appearances include this week’s performance at Boardwalk Rock (where they were replacing Motley Crue), Sonic Temple, Welcome to Rockville, along with headlining shows in Nashville and others. The next date AIC has scheduled is the all-star Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne final performance on July 5th in London, but the future of that performance is unclear as of press time.
Alice in Chains achieved significant success in the 90s with albums like Facelift, Dirt, and the self-titled Alice in Chains, as well as the EP Jar of Flies. The band faced periods of inactivity due to Layne Staley’s struggles with substance abuse, which tragically led to his death in 2002.
The band reunited in 2005 and with the addition of William DuVall in 2006, they have released three more studio albums: Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here in 2013, and Rainier Fog in 2018. They have sold over 30 million records worldwide and have received eleven Grammy Award nominations.
