Lzzy Hale will fill in as Skid Row's vocalist during four of the band's upcoming shows. This came after frontman Erik Grönwall announced his departure from the group.
The Swedish singer broke the news in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday, March 27: "Yes, I have decided to leave Skid Row," he said. "The main reason being that it’s proved difficult to prioritize my health and full recovery as the lead singer of the band."
Grönwall was diagnosed with leukemia in 2021 and joined Skid Row the following year, just six months after his treatment was complete.
The news came as Erik Grönwall announced his departure from the band.
"I love Skid Row, I have nothing but respect for the guys in the band but I love and respect my health more," he said.
The band released a statement noting that there are no hard feelings toward Grönwall.
"Skid Row is proud of what they have created and accomplished with Erik over the past two years and we wish nothing but the best to him and his health," they said.
The group will also be releasing a live album to celebrate the band's career spanning more than 35 years.
Grönwall announced his plans to release a Swedish-language biography in another social media post on Thursday, March 28.
"I never thought I'd release an autobiography, much less so at 36," he said in a statement obtained by Blabbermouth. "But sometimes it feels like I've lived two lifetimes in a third of a lifetime.
"I feel like I have something to share and I hope that can give hope to more people who are struggling. Life after an illness can actually be better than ever."
Grönwall first broke into the music industry after he appeared on the TV show Swedish Idol in 2009. During one appearance, he played the Skid Row song "18 and Life." The vocalist has also performed with the bands H.E.A.T. and New Horizon.
Hale's upcoming shows with Skid Row will proceed Halestorm's co-headlining tour with I Prevail later this summer.
"Rocklahoma is a call to arms, a celebration of not only music but also of our differences and what makes us all the same," Lzzy Hale of Halestorm said.
And here's Grönwall's full statement about his departure:
"Yes, I have decided to leave Skid Row. The main reason being that it’s proved difficult to prioritize my health and full recovery as the lead singer of the band.
"In 2021 I was undergoing treatment against leukemia and that gave me a superpower called perspective. I decided to use that perspective and write down the values I wanted to live by for the rest of my life. On top of that list it says 'health first.'⠀⠀
"I’ve had to look at that list a lot of times this last year, questioning if I’m really living according to my values. At the end of the day I realized the answer was no.
"As a result of the treatments and transplant my immune system was impaired. You can think of my immune system as a 4 year old kid bringing home all kinds of viruses from preschool. It takes awhile to build up that resistance again but my immune system is getting stronger every day. However I’m still doing regular check ups (blood tests) at the hematology department in Sweden, which has proved challenging while keeping up with the Skid Row schedule. I have way too much respect for my medical history to push myself to the limit.
"I love Skid Row, I have nothing but respect for the guys in the band but I love and respect my health more. I understand that Skid Row is a touring band but like I told the guys: 'if I can’t prioritize my health, then I’m not the right guy for the job.'
"Please note, I’m NOT sick and it’s not that I don’t want to tour. I love being on the road. And of course we have tried to find the right balance together but at the end of the day I realized that it was better for me to step aside.
"So now I’m going to focus on my full recovery, and come back stronger than ever. Meanwhile I’m finalizing my biography. And I’m going to start writing my own music again.
"Lastly, once again thank you to everyone who accepted me as the singer of this iconic band.
"Always remember that no job, no money, no fame is worth your health or well being. Health first always. I owe this decision to the guy in the second picture and I’m proud to be able to say that I kept my promise to him. Health first!"
The trek will start in North Carolina on July 9.
Here's a list of the upcoming Skid Row performances that will include Hale:
5/17 – Carterville, Illinois – Walker's Bluff Casino Resort
5/18 – Riverside, Iowa – Riverside Casino & Golf Resort
5/31 – Reno, Nevada – Nugget Casino Resort
6/1 – Sacramento, California – Hard Rock Live Sacramento
Here's a full list of the upcoming Halestorm/I Prevail dates:
7/9 — Raleigh, NC — Coastal Credit Union Music Park
7/11 — Noblesville, IN — Ruoff Music Center
7/13 — Clarkston, MI — Pine Knob Music Theatre
7/15 — Gilford, NH — BankNH Pavilion
7/16 — Boston, MA — Leader Bank Pavilion
7/18 — Toronto, ON — Budweiser Stage
7/21 — Tinley Park, IL — Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
7/23 — Bridgeport, CT — Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
7/24 — Scranton, PA — Pavilion @ Montage Mountain
7/26 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center
7/27 — York, PA — York Fair
7/30 — Mansfield, OH — Inkcarceration*
7/31 — Alpharetta, GA — Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
8/1 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/3 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion
8/4 — Franklin, TN — FirstBank Amphitheater
8/7 — St. Louis, MO — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/8 — Rogers, AR — Walmart AMP
8/10 — Woodlands, TX — The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Presented by Huntsman
8/11 — Irving, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8/13 — Denver, CO — Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
8/14 — Albuquerque, NM — Isleta Amphitheater
8/16 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theater
8/17 — Las Vegas, NV — Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort
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