Photo: Getty Images
Parker McCollum shared a health update after he “didn’t have a choice” but to end his show early on Saturday night (January 25). McCollum had to cut his concert short due to a sudden illness on the first weekend of his headlining “What Kinda Man Tour.”
The award-winning country star shared a video on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon (January 28), apologizing for ending the performance early and thanking the fans for understanding. McCollum said he’s “not 100% yet,” but expects to return to the stage for his upcoming shows, and pledged to return to State College, Pennsylvania.
“I was in the meet and greet before the show. I had about two people left, and all of a sudden, just out of nowhere, ‘bam.’ I felt it in my stomach,” McCollum said. He knew, “‘man, I’m about to be very, very sick.’ ...Show time rolled around. I decided to try to give it a go. Got out there, felt OK the first couple of songs, and then the more I was singing and pushing, you know, it became apparent — and I’m sure y’all could tell in the crowd — that I was not doing well up there.
“I’ve never had to walk off stage in the middle of a show in the years I’ve been doing this,” he said. “That was absolutely the worst thing ever to have to end a show like that, especially so early in the night. I cannot tell y’all how much I appreciate y’all being so understanding. I’m sure that’s not how anybody wanted (the night) to go. It’s certainly not how I wanted it to go. But I just didn’t have a choice. As soon as I walked off stage, I walked straight to my bus. I didn’t even make it to my bus. I was in the bushes for about 10 minutes just as violently sick as I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
McCollum said over the last couple days, he’s felt “incredibly sick” and “unbelievably ill” after that night in State College, Pennsylvania. However, he’s “feeling a little better now. …The crowd was electric. The arena was sold out, and you know, everything was kind of teed up to have a great show in that first weekend of the tour, on such a great note, and it could not have been more the opposite. So, again, I appreciate you guys understanding.” McCollum said he’s working to schedule a date to return for another show sometime this year.
McCollum previously announced his headlining “What Kinda Man Tour,” tired after his honky tonk-worthy single written by Natalie Hemby and Jeremy Spillman, and produced by Frank Liddell and Eric Masse. McCollum premiered the cinematic, Dustin Haney-directed music video — with a few subtle Easter eggs for attentive fans — earlier this month. The “What Kinda Man Tour” includes Ashley Cooke, Kameron Marlowe, Randy Rogers Band, Steve Earle & Reckless Kelly, Corey Smith, William Beckmann, Laci Kaye Booth, Vincent Mason and Hudson Westbrook on select dates. See the list of dates here.
“I really appreciate the support and everybody reaching out and checking on me. (I’m) getting a lot better, (but) not 100% yet,” McCollum said on Tuesday. “That was incredibly tough for me, and I just hate to disappoint you guys.”