Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale phoned into New York radio station Oldies 100 to chat about his health struggles and the band’s future touring plans.

In March, Whitesnake were forced to cancel all of their upcoming tour dates. It was no great surprise given the current circumstances, but the cancellation wasn’t solely due to the spread of Covid-19.

“All tours – Europe, UK & US – are being cancelled owing to health issues, related specifically to a bilateral inguinal hernia requiring me to have surgery,” Coverdale said in a statement. The former Deep Purple vocalist described it as an “unforeseen personal health issue” that he would address “at the first possible opportunity.”

The announcement came just one month after Whitesnake’s show at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena was postponed due to a medical emergency. The band completed the Sydney show four days later and went on to play two shows in Asia before their touring schedule came to a standstill.

Check out: Whitensake – Slide It In

YouTube VideoPlay

Speaking to Oldies 100 host Steve King, Coverdale indicated the British hard rock giants wouldn’t be getting back onstage this year. “Number one, not only do we have to get rid of this completely and utterly, but all the venues are going to have to be sprayed down and disinfected,” he said. “And people are going have to be temperature checked.”

As for what the life of a touring musician might look like post-COVID, Coverdale hypothesised that they’ve “got to be prepared for an entirely new game.”

Coverdale and King started the interview by talking about the 35th anniversary remaster of 1984’s Slide It In. “My god it crushes,” Coverdale said. “You’d be astonished at how loud, crystal clear it is. It’s thrilling.” He also spoke about the new Whitesnake retrospective, The ROCK Album, which is due out on June 19.

Love Classic Rock?

Get the latest Classic Rock news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

Check out: David Coverdale on Oldies 100

YouTube VideoPlay

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine