Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan, 81, was hospitalized following a medical emergency, forcing his band to cancel two upcoming tour dates.<\/p>\n
The British rock group \u2014 which also includes guitarist Simon McBride, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice and keyboardist Don Airey \u2014 announced the cancellations on Instagram<\/a> Saturday, saying they were doing so \u201cwith great disappointment.\u201d<\/p>\n The band said it would be \u201cunable to perform\u201d Saturday night at the QI Arena in Leipzig, Germany, as well as Sunday evening at the Sporthalle in Hamburg.<\/p>\n Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan was hospitalized following a medical emergency. (Pictured: Gillan performing on stage in Milan on Oct. 17.) Corbis via Getty Images<\/p>\n The British rock group announced they were canceling two shows in a statement Saturday. deeppurple\/ instagram<\/p>\n \u201cThis comes as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, which has resulted in his current hospitalization,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand that this announcement comes at short notice and share the disappointment of all our wonderful fans that we are unable to perform in Leipzig and Hamburg,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n The band stated that they are focused on finding \u201csuitable\u201d dates to reschedule both shows, noting that all previously purchased tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performances.<\/p>\n \u201cThis comes as a result of a medical emergency involving Ian Gillan, which has resulted in his current hospitalization,\u201d the statement read. (Pictured: Gillan performing on stage.) Sergione Infuso \u2013 Corbis<\/p>\n Deep Purple said they \u201cshare the disappointment of all our wonderful fans\u201d and are focused on finding \u201csuitable\u201d dates to reschedule both shows. (Gillan is pictured above performing on stage with drummer Ian Paice in Michigan in August.) Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWith the greatest love and respect \u2026 Deep Purple x,\u201d the statement concluded.<\/p>\n The band has been on the road for its \u201cSPLAT!\u201d world tour<\/a> since early August, with performances scheduled through December.<\/p>\n Gillian joined Deep Purple in 1969 after leaving his previous group, Episode Six, replacing original frontman Rod Evans just one year after the band was formed in London in 1968.<\/p>\n Deep Purple (seen above performing on stage in Italy this month) has been on the road for their world tour since August. Getty Images<\/p>\n Gillan (pictured above performing on stage in Sweden earlier this week) replaced original Deep Purple frontman Rod Evans when he joined the band in 1969. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Meanwhile, former Deep Purple member Glenn Hughes also recently stepped away from touring and live performances<\/a> due to health issues of his own.<\/p>\n Hughes, 75 \u2014 who joined the band as bassist and co-lead vocalist in 1973 and remained until 1976 \u2014 announced his retirement from onstage appearances in August, revealing he would need to undergo heart surgery.<\/p>\n \u201cThis past year, I\u2019ve had some health issues. The results from numerous MRIs, CT scans, and an echocardiogram have alerted my medical team that I need another open-heart surgery,\u201d the former Black Sabbath frontman wrote in a statement posted to Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Former Deep Purple member Glenn Hughes (seen above performing with the band in London in 1974) recently announced his retirement from live performances as he prepared to undergo open-heart surgery. Redferns<\/p>\n In a statement posted to Facebook in August, Hughes (pictured above performing on stage in Sweden last year) said he had \u201cno option\u201d and thanked his fans for \u201cwalking beside me.\u201d Redferns<\/p>\n He added that he had \u201cno option\u201d and \u201cno choice,\u201d explaining that his health remains his \u201cnumber one priority.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGrateful to have been chosen with a life full with the gift of music \u2026 Thank you for walking beside me,\u201d his statement concluded, signed, \u201cYour friend, Glenn.\u201d<\/p>\n Notably, Hughes was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of Deep Purple, alongside his former bandmates.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t