LESLIE WEST Comments On '3 Guitar Heroes' Tour Postponement

The previously announced "3 Guitar Heroes" tour featuring Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth and Leslie West has been postponed until early 2012 due to West's recent partial leg amputation.

West has released the following statement regarding the tour postponement:

West has issued the following official statement: "To everyone involved on
this tour. I am very sad today. I was so hoping this would happen.
Everyone worked so hard, and it would have been FUN. Yeah, I wanted it
to be fun. Unfortunately it was not being able to climb stairs, go to a
simple thing like a bathroom on a tour bus, which is tight for a normal
person, let alone me. I start training with my new leg Wednesday, so I
can get back to a normal life.

"I do hope that everyone would consider doing West coast to East after NAMM. Bob [West's manager Bob Ringe] and Wayne [Forte at booking agency Entourage Talent Associates] think this is possible.

"If
you guys think you would want to do this, I will work that much harder
to learn to walk, which I will do anyway, but thought I would throw this
in there."

West's leg was removed in late June just
above the knee due to complications from diabetes. "I cried a couple
fuckin' times," he told Billboard.com. "You still feel the nerves and stuff like that. I had to make a decision — lose my leg or lose my
life. What are you gonna do? But I'll tell you, it's a good thing it
wasn't one of my arms. Then I'd be really fucked."

West's manager Bob Ringe was the mastermind behind the "3 Guitar Heroes" tour, and there are some very special surprises for this excursion.
Following sets by each artist, the evening will climax with a jam of
these highly influential artists on stage together, with special guests
earmarked to join them in most markets, including Dean Guitars CEO, Elliott "Dean" Rubinson, who will be the tour bassist for both Schenker and Roth. Source: RNR