On August 11th, Stryper guitarist Oz Fox suffered an on-stage seizure while performing with his side project Sin City Sinners at Harrah’s in Las Vegas, NV. The guitarist is currently receiving medical treatment as a gofundme campaign was launched to help pay for his medical expenses. Depending on the doctor’s orders, Oz intends to return to the stage this fall to continue supporting the group’s latest effort God Damn Evil, which was released this past April via Frontiers.
The guitarist was forced to drop off from the band’s Australia tour dates and he will have to sit out for September shows as well due to his doctor ordering him to avoid driving and flying for 90 days. Nashville Publicity group reported that he has handpicked Los Angeles-based guitarist Howie Simon to fill in for him during the September shows. This absence will give Oz the rest that he needs to fully recover.
Oz commented:
“Howie Simon and I have been friends for well over a decade now. It is great to have him help us out and fill in for me while I am in recovery. I am looking forward to catching some fan videos of him online. He’s an excellent performer and his guitar playing outranks so many in the business. In my opinion, it is very important for the band to fulfill dates that have been booked for so long. I am thankful for the continued support of the fans while my Stryper family and I face this detour in my career, and I look forward to seeing many of you on the road in October and November.”
Frontman Michael Sweet added:
“We appreciate all the support, thoughts and prayers from everyone at this time. We look forward to having our brother Oz back as quickly as possible. We’re also very grateful to Howie for working so hard learning the material and parts to be able to sit in with us for the time being. We’ll do our best to bring you the absolute best show possible until Oz returns.”
Tour Dates:
09/07 Hinckley, MN @ Rocktember Music Festival
09/08 St. Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theatre
09/13 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues Orlando
09/15 Carolina, Puerto Rico @ “Rockin’ Vivo Fest” @ Vivo Beach Club
10/12 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
10/13 St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
10/14 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
10/18 Aurora, CO @ Stampede
10/20 Draper, UT @ LeatherHeads
10/25 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
10/26 Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto Theatre
10/27 North Las Vegas, NV @ The Club @ Cannery Casino Hotel
10/31 West Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A Go Go
11/02 Highland, CA @ San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino
11/03 Santa Clarita, CA @ The Canyon Theater
11/04 Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
11/06 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
11/11 Reno, NV @ Virginia St Brewhouse
11/14 Billings, MT @ Pub Station Ballroom
11/17 Sioux City, IA @ Anthem @ Hard Rock Casino
01/31 Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
02/01 Uncasville, CT @ Wolf’s Den @ Mohegan Sun
02/09 Tokyo, Japan @ Kawasaki CLUB CITTA — RESCHEDULED
02/10 Tokyo, Japan @ Kawasaki CLUB CITTA — RESCHEDULED
**More dates to be added!
