Brandi Carlile Reveals She Must Undergo Surgery

Brandi Carlile breaks the news to fans that she must cancel a run of tour dates in September so she can undergo surgery. A statement on her website explains that she’s been suffering from “back and pelvis problems from endometriosis.”

The statement – titled “A Note From Brandi” – begins by explaining how sorry she is about the cancellations. The singer/songwriter notes that she is really bothered to have to call off dates because she relates to fans and always says she’s “actually way more of a fan than an artist.”

Pollstar checked in with Carlile’s PR rep at ATO Records and confirmed that performances scheduled Sept. 8-17 have been nixed. She is still set to play Sept. 2 in Mankato, Minn., at the Verizon Wireless Center. Following surgery, Carlile is due back on stage Nov. 1 at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire.

Photo: Andy Martin / LiveConcertShots.com
Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, Raleigh, N.C.

“In the last few months I’ve started having some back and pelvis problems from endometriosis that were slow evolving and didn’t seem super serious,” Carlile writes. “I ended up with a hemorrhagic cyst in July but because I had good days and bad days and it wasn’t super painful or damaging, I was sure I could get through September. The trouble is that it just got worse and worse and I was putting off getting a simple surgery so that I could do what I love and finish the tour.”

“Finally, as these things do, my health issues made the decision for me and even after touring with a lovely chiropractor to get me onstage (btw if you ever want to feel old…) I am just unable to put on focused and honest show right now. That’s why I have to take a couple of months off to recover.”

Carlile wrapped up the note with the following words of wisdom: “I want to share with you one defining lesson I’ve learned from this – we live in a part of the world where we have (evolving) access to health care and specifically women’s reproductive health when a devastating number of women in impoverished countries are still dying from very curable and preventable reproductive issues. Let’s not skip our annual appointments or ignore our women’s health issues out of respect for that privilege and the women who don’t have it.”