by: Jeremy Ulrey
Bad news from Jens Johansson:
"Dear Stratovarius fans, I am afraid we have some quite terrible news. News of the worst imaginable kind. It's about our friend and drummer Jörg Michael.
Jörg has cancer.
He recently discovered a lump on his neck, went to the doctor, they decided to operate and found what they call 'a malignant thyroid neoplasm.' They took out his whole thyroid just to have the best chance to get everything out. He will also have to undergo a regimen of radiotherapy. He is a fighter. We have all talked to him and it's clear that this guy is not down for the count. He and his team of German doctors are pissed off and ready to kick ass, and I would not want to be a little cancer cell on these guys' shit list. Believe me. Jörg and his family (and us guys in the band) found this out only last week, after the operation. Naturally we are all going between a lot of emotions, sadness, worry, shock, confusion, even anger.
The band will fulfill their upcoming slew of tour dates with Alex Landenburg – a well respected drum teacher from Germany – filling in per Jörg's wishes.