What Happened to Skid Row's Dave Sabo? Guitarist Reportedly Suffering From Health Issue for Years

Skid Row's bassist Rachel Bolan revealed the truth about Dave "Snake" Sabo's health issues.

The highly-anticipated Skid Row tour in Australia in November was postponed as the band prioritized Sabo's health due to his now-rescheduled neck surgery. With that, fans have to wait until May 2023 before they can see the band's performance.

In an interview with The Rock Experience with Mike Brunn, Bolan opened up about Sabo's current status, saying that his bandmate has been suffering from chronic pain for the past 15 years.

"Being on planes, wearing 10 pounds of wood around your neck and jumping around with it every night, none of that helps. So he finally got to the point where it was starting to affect his arm - like numbness and pain and stuff like that. And it's a couple of discs," he said.

The bassist revealed that the surgery would be done this month. Sabo would then need at least three months to focus on post-operation procedures, including physical therapy.

Bolan also noted how his bandmate does not feel the pain when he is on stage due to the adrenaline he feels. But once he steps down, he starts feeling it again.

Amid the bad news, the musician hinted at the possibility of Skid Row visiting Japan and Korea after its Australia tour.

Dave "Snake" Sabo's Mental Illness, Issues

Aside from his physical struggles, Sabo once opened up about the problems with his mental health and how he managed to endure them for decades.

In 2021, he told Kendall Toole - National Alliance on Mental Illness' influencer and ambassador - how important it is to talk about mental illness issues.

Sabo noted that before starting his music journey with Skid Row in 1986, he had already been suffering because of his mental health issues. But he found the best way to express it by creating music and performing in front of their fans.

Although he found the bright side of his battle, Sabo also openly talked about the anxiety of diminishing a band's popularity because of his issues. Thus, he pushed himself to wear a brave face and hid it from everyone until his mid-30s.

Aside from his chronic pain and mental health struggles, Sabo also dealt with COVID-19 after testing positive for the virus in October. He received his diagnosis before the Skid Row's Manchester gig.