Joan Jett Cancels Shows After Vertebrae Surgery

Joan Jett is hanging up her guitar for good, at least until the healing begins. The rock legend has pulled back from the stage after sustaining a serious injury that demanded surgery. Her team shared this news on Tuesday via an Instagram Story that has since expired. At 67 years old, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts called off their final two dates scheduled for September in 2026.

A statement obtained by Rolling Stone explained the situation clearly. Following a recent injury, Joan Jett underwent orthopedic surgery on a fractured vertebrae and will now start the necessary healing process. The announcement confirmed that she could not perform at her upcoming shows in Costa Mesa, California, on Sept. 5 or Louisville, Kentucky, on Sept. 24. This decision came after close consultation with her doctors.

While Joan hates to disappoint fans, she is taking this time to focus on physical therapy and healing. She expressed hope for delivering tremendous concerts again in the years ahead. No additional details about the specific nature of her injury were provided. Fox News Digital reached out to Jett's representatives for comment but has not received a further response yet.

The Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, where the singer was set to perform on Sept. 5, posted Jett's statement on their webpage along with an update. Cheap Trick will be performing in her place at that venue. The show will feature X opening the act. If fans wish to attend the replacement show on Sept. 5, they should do nothing and keep their tickets valid. Those seeking a refund are asked to contact their point of purchase directly.

Jett's concert in Louisville was scheduled for the opening day of the four-day Bourbon & Beyond festival at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The festival lineup includes Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves and others.

Joan Jett first rose to fame in the 1970s as a founding member of the all-female rock band The Runaways. She later found international success after she founded Joan Jett & the Blackhearts in 1979. The band released 10 albums between 1981 and 2013, scoring major hits including "I Love Rock 'n Roll," "Bad Reputation" and "I Hate Myself for Loving You." Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2022, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts released their first acoustic album, "Changeup," followed by their six-song EP "Mindsets" in 2023. The band has stayed active on the road since they first formed. In recent years, they have toured alongside artists including Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Bryan Adams, Alanis Morissette and Billy Idol. They completed their first U.K. headline tour in 16 years back in July.

Last Monday, Jett shared an Instagram post featuring a compilation of clips from their U.K. tour. She wrote, "Thanks for the summer love Europe, can't wait to come back." Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' current lineup includes Jett, Dougie Needles, Hal B. Selzer, Michael McDermott and Kenny Laguna. The band currently has no scheduled upcoming shows.

Jett has previously acknowledged that decades on the road have taken a physical toll and explained how she has adapted her fitness routine as she has aged. I never had to work out my whole life, she told USA Today in 2025. I was just lucky I had an athletic body. But now it's a different story.

I see an arm and am like, 'Whose arm is this with the crepe-y skin?'"

"But I try to walk every day and I do some weights," she explained later. "I had a shoulder operation so it's important to keep my muscle strength up and I do a lot of core work." She noted that walking through airports and venues counts as exercise too, even if the traveling is the one part of her job she does not love. It leaves its mark on your body with all that wear and tear.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP