Earth, Wind & Fire abruptly cancels shows after member rushed to hospital just before show time

Iconic 1970s disco band Earth, Wind & Fire were forced to abruptly cancel their San Francisco concert on August 6, after a “medical emergency“.

“We are unable to perform as scheduled tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco due to a medical emergency involving a member of our band,” the band, best known for the hit song “September,” shared on social media, hours before the show alongside Lionel Richie.

“As a result, tonight’s show with Lionel Richie will be rescheduled, with a new date to be announced soon. We sincerely apologize for the unexpected change and appreciate everyone’s understanding.

TMZ later reported that “a fire engine and private ambulance responded to the venue for a cardiac incident, and one person was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.”

Reports indicate that it was the band’s drummer, John Paris, who has been with the band since 2001, who was taken to hospital.

HELLO! has contacted reps for the band for comment.

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Lionel also posted a statement, confirming the cancellation of the show “due to a medical emergency involving a member of their band”.

“As a rsult, tonight’s show will be rescheduled, with a new date announced soon. We appreciate everyone’s understanding,” he shared.

Ticket refunds

The Chase Center confirmed in its own statement that concert tickets for the August 6 event will be honored for the rescheduled date when it is announced but that refunds are also “available at the point of purchase.”

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Who is John Paris?

John was born in New Jersey; his mother was a musician and jazz singer, and his father was a big band leader and singer. He moved to San Francisco as a young teen and became involved in the local music scene.

He later toured with Sheila E. and worked as a studio musician for Stephanie Mills’ 1987 album If I Were Your Woman, two of Patti LaBelle’s albums, as well as Kelly Clarkson‘s 2017 album Meaning of Life.

In 2001, John Paris joined Earth, Wind & Fire as their drummer, appearing on four studio albums.

Earth Wind and Fire’s legacy

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The band was formed in 1969 and found success in the 1970s. Known for spanning multiple genres, they are among the best-selling bands ever, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide, and six Grammy Awards.

Founder Maurice White died in 2016, and John has been credited with helping to keep the band’s rhythm section alive in the decade since.

They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2019 were inducted into the  Kennedy Center Honors.

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Hits include “September,” one of the most covered songs and added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” in 2018, as well as “Shining Star”, “Let’s Groove”, “After the Love Has Gone”, “That’s the Way of the World”, and “Fantasy”.