Dead & Company’s Bill Kreutzmann has pulled out of the band’s Mexico gigs on doctor’s orders, due to a heart condition.
The supergroup – also comprising his fellow surviving Grateful Dead band members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, plus John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge – have their festival Playing In The Sand taking place in Mexico’s Riviera Cancún, kicking off on Friday (07.01.22) to January 10, and again, on January 13 until January 16.
However, they will be without Bill, who has been replaced by ex-Primus drummer Jay Lane, who has previously stepped in for the sticksman.
Making light of the situation, Bill joked on Twitter: “After a lifetime of playing special beats, it’s almost no wonder that my heart came up with its own idea of rhythm.”
The 75-year-old musician has vowed to return to the stage and insisted he has “a lot of music left in me” yet.
He continued in the statement: “All jokes aside, my doctor has ordered me to take it easy (and stay safe) through the end of January so that I can continue to drum and play for you for many tours to come. I have a lot of music left in me and there’s no stopping me from playing it.
“I’ve never been one to obey orders or play by the rules, but in the interest of longevity, I hope you’ll understand.”
Meanwhile, in other Grateful Dead-related news, in November it was announced that Jonah Hill will play Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s biopic about the legendary rock band.
The 38-year-old actor has been tapped to play the late rocker in Scorsese’s new project for Apple.
Jonah is set to produce the flick through his Strong Baby banner with his producing partner Matt Dines.
Grateful Dead members – including Bill – will executive produce with Jerry’s daughter Trixie Garcia, Eric Eisner and Bernie Cahill.
Insiders have said that with the band and their management participating in the movie, Apple will have the rights to use the group’s musical catalogue in the project.
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are writing the script after previously working on the acclaimed ‘American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson’, while Scorsese is also set to produce.
The story of the group goes back to its formation in California during the 1960s. The band were known for their eclectic style and had a loyal fanbase following them across the United States for decades.
Frontman Jerry passed away in 1995, although surviving members have carried on in various incarnations.
Scorsese has a long track record of producing and directing rock documentaries, including the 2017 Grateful Dead feature ‘Long Strange Trip’ – but this would mark the first time that the legendary filmmaker has travelled down the biopic route for a legendary musical act.