Though '80s pop stars Culture Club were set to begin their first tour in over 12 years this Saturday, the band has been forced to cancel the entire tour due to problems with singer Boy George's vocal cords. According to BBC, the 53-year-old singer has discovered a polyp in his throat, and may require surgery to have it removed.
"A throat specialist has ordered George to not sing as it may necessitate an operation," the band revealed in a statement. "We are hoping we can reschedule the concerts for next year, and hopefully George's problem will be resolved."
George tells BBC that he's "devastated" by the decision. "I want to be able to perform to the best of my ability," he says, "and the specialist has told me that right now that will be impossible...I will focus on getting better and see all my fans soon."
Throat polyps are a rather common ailment for tireless pop singers, with BBC noting that Adele, Björk, and Keith Urban have all suffered from them in recent years, none of which have lost their voices as a result.
The tour would have been Culture Club's first since 2002, and it was set to kick off on Nov. 15 in Rancho Mirage, California. A UK leg of tour, which was set to begin on Dec. 1 in Glasgow, has also been cancelled. According to The New York Times, this tour would have also been Culture Club's first with its original line-up of George, bassist Mikey Craig, guitarist/keyboardist Roy Hay, and drummer Jon Moss since their 1986 breakup.
Culture Club's next album, Tribes, is set for release at some point in early 2015. It will be their sixth album overall and their first since 1999's Don't Mind If I Do. The album's first single, "More Than Silence," was released last week.
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