“I’m going to live,” Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney assured fans while giving a health update following recent show cancellations. Joking about the situation, Kinney added, “The bad news is that I’m going to be fine.”
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“Turns out medical professionals probably know a little more about health than a musician with some shiny, spray-painted records hanging on his wall,” Kinney quipped.
Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney has provided fans with an update on his health after the band had to pull out of several shows due to what was described as a “non-life-threatening medical emergency.”
The band canceled their May 8 performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, just hours before showtime, and later announced the cancellation of all their scheduled May appearances. These included high-profile slots at major U.S. festivals like Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple.
In a statement shared on social media, the band emphasized, “While we were all excited to get back on stage, Sean’s health is our main concern right now.”
Kinney shared his personal health update on the band’s social media platforms on May 15, addressing fans directly.
“First off, to everyone who came out to the Mohegan Sun show and was impacted by the last-minute cancellation, and to those who had tickets for the other shows—we really appreciate your understanding,” he wrote. “The band and I are fully aware that you spend your hard-earned money, make plans, and adjust your schedules to see us. It’s incredibly disappointing that it came to this.”
He added, “I was really looking forward to getting back on stage and playing with the band. It’s been a tough, but necessary, decision. I’m not someone who normally uses social media, nor do I like making my personal health issues public, but I understand there’s been concern.”
Kinney went on to describe his reaction to the doctors advising him not to perform in the short term, humorously admitting he went through the five stages of grief:
- Denial (“I’m fine.”)
- Anger (“F*** this—I’m still going to play.”)
- Bargaining (“What’s it going to take to get a better diagnosis?”)
- Depression (“This sucks.”)
- Acceptance (“This sucks, but okay.”)
He concluded, “I finally had to admit that doctors with a wall full of hard-earned degrees probably know a bit more about health than a musician with some shiny, spray-painted records hanging on his wall.”
Kinney wrapped up his update by thanking fans for their support, saying, “The outpouring of love, concern, and well wishes has been both extremely humbling and deeply 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.”
Alice In Chains’ next scheduled performance is set for July at Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning farewell show in Birmingham. The event will mark the first time the original Black Sabbath lineup—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—reunites on stage since 2005. The concert will also feature a star-studded lineup of hard rock and metal heavyweights, including Metallica, Pantera, Anthrax, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Gojira, Mastodon, and more, as they pay tribute to both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, who will also give his final solo performance.