Yes guitarist Steve Howe has given an update on his health and the band’s future plans, following the postponement of their U.K. tour earlier this year due to his health issues, according to Guitar Player.
Howe addressed how difficult it was to postpone the band’s plans despite having a new album and tour ready to go this year, responding candidly about the toll it has taken and the progress he has made since undergoing an operation.
“It’s immensely disappointing; I feel it probably more than anybody else because I’m the subject matter of it,” Howe said. “I had ambitious goals that we just had to postpone ’til next year. But we still put Aurora out; it was in the process, so we couldn’t really stop it. Sometimes the world doesn’t wait for you and other times it does, so you have to make judgment calls.”
He was reluctant to dwell too long on the difficulty of the situation. However, he acknowledged the seriousness of what he went through.
“I don’t want to dwell on it too much; if I start talking I’ll go somewhere I don’t want to go,” he continued. “I had this major thing and it was pretty difficult, and it’s gonna take some time to get me back to normal.”
Howe noted that he is still committed to his craft even as he recovers.
“But I’m keeping up my playing and my momentum. It’s been three months now since I had the operation, so I’m making progress, slowly.”
Looking ahead, Howe expressed optimism about resuming the band’s rescheduled commitments.
“So we rescheduled everything we had this year for next year and hopefully everything will be hunky dory and we’ll be back around and try and do all the things we were going to do this year.”
Howe’s comments come months after the ordeal first began. The timeline of events helps explain just how disruptive the health scare has been for the band.
The trouble started back in April, when Yes announced they were pulling the plug on their previously scheduled “Fragile” UK and EU tour. The band revealed at the time that Howe needed to undergo “an essential operation that needs recovery time.” This forced them to scrap dates that had been set to kick off on April 22.
At the time, the band said the decision was made to ensure Howe could return to the stage in full health. They also committed to working on rescheduling the shows, with tickets remaining valid for the new dates once announced.
Now, months removed from the surgery, Howe has offered a rare glimpse into his recovery process, describing his progress in stark terms. He has continued to keep his hands on the guitar throughout his recuperation, even as he remains sidelined from full-scale touring and performing.
Fans can expect the band’s postponed tour and other plans to resume next year, pending Howe’s continued recovery.
