The Offspring guitarist and co-founder Noodles announced on Wednesday morning (Oct. 21) that he is stepping back from the band’s tour to deal with a health issue. In a statement posted on Instagram, the 63-year-old punk veteran wrote, “It is with deep sadness that I have to announce that I need to step away from live performance for a while to deal with a sudden and fairly serious health issue.”
At press time, a spokesperson for the group had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional details on what is ailing the musician born Kevin John Wasserman, how long he expected to be absent from the group’s live lineup and who will replace him for a run of upcoming gigs in support of their 11th studio album, 2024’s Supercharged.
Noodles assured fans that his Orange County, Calif.-bred bandmates support him during this difficult time.
“The rest of the band has my back, is super supportive, and will keep rocking you all in my absence,” he said. “I hope to be back on stage sooner rather than later. Until then, I will miss all of you with all of my heart. Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. I really appreciate it.”
Noodles also got plenty of support from his pop punk brethren, including Simple Plan singer Pierre Bouvier, who wrote, “Hope you’re ok brother. Sending love and positivity. You’re a legend…. You got this. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” and well wishes from Slightly Stoopid, The Early November and Sublime, among others.
The Offspring have been on the road all year on their Supercharged tour, with upcoming dates booked on Saturday (Oct. 24) at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, as well as SEMA Fest in Las Vegas on Nov. 6 and the Corona Capital 2026 festival in Mexico City on Nov. 21. After that, they will take a break from the road until a Jan. 16 show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles as part of the iHeartRadio ALTer Ego 2027 festival.
