Legendary Musician From Iconic Rock Band Steps Away From Tour, Reveals ‘Pretty Serious Mental Health Crash'
Legendary bassist Eric Bass of Shinedown has revealed he won't be joining the popular rock band for the opening dates of their massive tour, set to launch on Saturday, July 11 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
In a video posted on Instagram, the 51-year-old rocker announced that he has been struggling with his mental health and is currently receiving treatment at the Medical University of South Carolina.
"I don't know any other way to do this other than just to do it off the cuff, none of this is prepared," Bass began his message to the fans on Friday, July 10. "But I have an announcement to make: I'm not going to be joining the band at the beginning of this tour that starts in a few days."
"I had a pretty serious mental health crash, I guess you could say, a few weeks ago, and I don't really feel it's the wise thing for me to do, to go out on tour right now," he reasoned, without going into too much detail about his situation. "I debated whether to make this announcement at all and just not be there and show back up when it's time, but mental health being such a thing that I have championed and the band has championed, that it would be not the best look to maybe seem like I'm ashamed of it."
Bass went on to add that while he will be absent for some shows, Josh Sturm of the band Kairos and Zack Mack will fill in for him. He also noted that he hopes to resume the tour before it ends. However, he shared that, as of right now, he is uncertain of the date that he will mark his return.
"I don't have a timeline for that right now," he explained. "Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, but I want to make sure that I'm safe. I'm very blessed to be able to take a break like this. I know a lot of people can't."
In closing, Bass took some time out to be a voice for anyone else who may be struggling with their mental health.
He said, "If you're going through a mental health crisis, give yourself time…reach out to people. I did something I've never done before in my 51 years on earth: I reached out to someone and said, ‘I can't do this on my own, and I need help.'"
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or visit their website.
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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 5:53 PM.