Former Skid Row singer Erik Grönwall recently opened up about his departure from the band. He clarified that he actually proposed a solution to remain with the group following his cancer treatment, as reported in an interview with Metal Global.
Grönwall explained that his exit was primarily due to health concerns following his cancer treatment. The band was unable to accommodate his recovery needs.
“The reason why I decided to leave [the band] that was because I could feel that I still needed more time to really properly recover after all my treatments, and I felt like it became too much to be on the road as much as [the other members of Skid Row] wanted,” Grönwall said. “So my proposal was to do a little less touring, but we couldn’t find common ground, and that’s fine. That’s totally fine.”
The singer went on to explain how his current touring arrangement with legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker differs from his situation with Skid Row.
“And then I started touring with [legendary German guitarist] Michael [Schenker], and then I guess some people ask, ‘But why can you tour with Michael and not Skid Row?’ Well, because when I told Michael about my situation a year after, so I had a lot of time to really recover, but when I told Michael about my situation, he said, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll just get a stand-in singer ready to fill in for you, if you feel like you have to sit one out,’ which made me feel really comfortable about trying to tour again,” he continued.
Grönwall emphasized the ongoing physical challenges he faces following his cancer treatment. This includes a bone marrow transplant.
“For me, coming from that very strange place, having had that illness and everything that that comes with [it], it’s not like you do chemo and you do a bone marrow transplant, and then you’re fine. It takes a long time for the body to… I have a new immune system. I have a new blood type — all these things. I have to redo all the vaccinations. Being on a world tour while that is going on is hard,” Grönwall explained.
Despite the challenges, the singer made it clear that he genuinely wanted to remain with Skid Row.
“But the reason why I did it was because I really wanted it to work out. I really wanted to still be in Skid Row. But for me — my necklace here says, ‘Health always comes first.’ And that’s just the way it has to be — I mean, for everyone. But especially when I got that health scare, it’s obviously more important for me than ever to really take care of myself. So that comes first,” he concluded.
Grönwall’s departure from Skid Row in March 2024 marked the end of a challenging two-year tenure. This tenure began shortly after his recovery from a life-threatening illness.
Arrow Lords of Metal reported that the 37-year-old Swedish-born musician was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021. His journey with Skid Row began in early 2022, approximately six months after completing his cancer treatment. This was roughly one month following his bone marrow transplant. Despite his compromised immune system, Grönwall committed to world touring. He contributed vocals to the band’s 2023 album “The Gang’s All Here.”
The timeline of events reveals the extraordinary circumstances under which Grönwall joined and eventually left the band. Live Metal noted that Skid Row announced Grönwall’s departure on March 27, 2024, via social media. Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale stepped in to fill vocal duties for upcoming shows. The departure was described as amicable. Both parties expressed mutual respect for their collaboration.
In subsequent interviews, Grönwall has been candid about the physical and emotional toll of balancing his health recovery with the demands of being a frontman for a major metal band. My Global Mind highlighted that he emphasized his decision was driven by the need to prioritize his health and full recovery. He stated it had “proved difficult to prioritize my health and full recovery as the lead singer.”
Since leaving Skid Row, Grönwall has focused on his recovery while pursuing new musical projects. Blabbermouth revealed that he is set to release a solo album in 2026. The album is produced with his former H.E.A.T. bandmate Jona Tee. The singer has described his departure from Skid Row as ultimately freeing. This allows him to explore new creative directions while maintaining the health-first approach that has become central to his life philosophy.
