Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has issued a heartfelt statement explaining why he abruptly postponed the remaining dates of his 2025 tour with his folk-rock band, Blackmore’s Night, attributing the cancellation to serious medical issues.
In his message, posted on his official Facebook page, Blackmore describes battling severe vertigo after staying in a poorly heated hotel room with damp sheets — a situation he believes triggered a debilitating migraine attack. He explains that he “couldn’t stop vomiting … the room wouldn’t stop spinning … I was extremely dizzy to the point of not being able to stand.” An ambulance was called, and after tests at a hospital, he was diagnosed with vertigo.
Blackmore also revealed that his health troubles go deeper. He says he’s been managing a long history of lumbar and neck herniated discs and has recently developed “debilitating migraines,” including ocular migraines that come with visual disturbances. These past conditions, combined with his age (he recently turned 80), have made revisiting the road especially difficult. His wife and bandmate Candice Night previously disclosed that he suffered a heart attack in 2023 and has been advised by doctors not to fly.
“Unfortunately, I was the one who got hit this time,” Blackmore wrote in his statement. “When one tours, you have a lot of people who have to be healthy … Hope to see you all one day again when I’m healthy.”
The cancellation affects all remaining Blackmore’s Night shows that were planned for late 2025. Only two shows had taken place — November 9 in Alexandria, Virginia, and November 13 in Lititz, Pennsylvania — before the rest were postponed.
Beyond the vertigo and migraines, Blackmore is also dealing with gout and chronic back pain, according to health updates shared with media publications.
Despite the disappointing news, Blackmore remains hopeful: he says he’s consulting multiple medical specialists and is doing everything he can to recover. He ended his message with gratitude and optimism: “Hope to see you all one day again when I’m healthy.”
