Ms. Lauryn Hill Pushes Remaining ‘Miseducation’ U.S. Dates to 2024 Over Vocal Issues: ‘I Need to Take Time Off’
Ms. Lauryn Hill has had to push back the 25th anniversary tour celebrating her landmark Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album once again. The singer told fans in a statement on Tuesday (Nov. 21) that her ongoing issues with a severe vocal strain mean that she has to push the remaining dates on the outing into 2024.
“Id like to start this off by saying how much I’ve enjoyed being on the road, and how much I appreciate all of the fans who have come out to celebrate this incredible milestone anniversary and history making reunion with us. Being able to tour this album to sold out crowds after 25 years has been an emotional experience!” Hill wrote in an Instagram post accompanied by footage of her straining through a performance of “Ex-Factor,” her voice audibly hoarse and scratchy.
According to a statement from her spokesperson, Hill has been suffering from the side effects of nightly use of the steroid prednisone to treat her vocal condition; common side effects of using prednisone include dizziness, irregular heartbeat, headaches, irritability, rattling breathing, numbness in arms/legs, shortness of breath and labored breathing.
Hill addressed those unintended consequences in the post. “As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month. I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time,” she wrote. “In order to prevent any long term negative affect on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely.”
Last month, Hill postponed a run of shows to “heal and rest” her voice, including a gig in Philadelphia that was originally slated to take place early in the run of shows that also find her reuniting on stage with her Fugees bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras. She paid tribute to the pair in Tuesday’s note about the tour postponement.
“I’ve loved sharing the stage again with Wyclef and Pras. The Return of the Fugees has been powerful and amazing — those who’ve witnessed it can testify,” she wrote. “The tour itself reminds us the artists, and the audiences alike of earlier, perhaps less complicated times when ‘It could all be so simple…’ or ‘Ready Or Not, here I come!’ were on repeat on the airwaves. Simply put, classic. Classic music, classic performances with audiences who love those classics has been nothing but…wait for it…EPIC. (I almost said classic again! 🙀).”
The note ended with Hill breaking the news that the remainder of this year’s scheduled gigs — including shows in Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Huntsville, Tampa, Miami and Boston — will be pushed to next year. The exception is Saturday night’s (Nov. 25) already rescheduled gig at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
“The shows that were cancelled this year will be rescheduled for early 2024 AND because of the overwhelming response, we’ll be adding new cities to the tour, including overseas,” Hill added, noting that her team is working on a new calendar of dates that they plan to announce soon.
Check out Hill’s post below.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard
