Kevin ‘Noodles’ Wasserman, guitarist for punk rock stars The Offspring, is withdrawing from touring with immediate effect – in order to prioritise his health.
The 63 year-old Wasserman announced in a social media post on 21 October: “It is with deep sadness that I have to announce that I need to step away from live performances for a while to deal with a sudden and fairly serious health issue.
“The rest of the band has my back, is super supportive, and will keep rocking you all in my absence. I hope to be back on stage sooner rather than later. Until then, I will miss all of you with all of my heart.
“Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. I really appreciate it.”
Nicknamed Noodles due to his fondness for noodling on guitar, Wasserman has played in The Offspring since 1984.
The band’s 1994 album Smash was released on Epitaph Records and is the biggest selling album ever released on an independent label.
Their biggest hit, Pretty Fly (For A White Guy), went to No 1 in Australia in 1998.
In the coming weeks The Offspring are scheduled to perform shows in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Mexico City.
As yet, the replacement for Noodles has not been confirmed.
