Neil Young won't be able to make good after all on his promise to attend tomorrow night's Juno Awards in Winnipeg. And for good reason.
The 59-year-old folk-rocker is recovering from surgery he had Tuesday at a New York City hospital to address "a serious brain aneurysm."
He's expected to make a full recovery and remain in hospital a few more days. The procedure has been called a complete success.
Young had vowed in 1982, when he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, that he would only play the Junos again if the awards show was held in his hometown.
"I'm really disappointed that I won't be able to make it to Winnipeg for the Junos as I had hoped," Young said in a statement released yesterday. "I grew up there and was really looking forward to the show as well as spending some time with my old friends and family.
"Thanks to my doctors, I'm feeling a lot better now so I hope I can get a rain check."
HAD VISUAL PROBLEMS
Melanie Berry, president of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, said in a statement from Winnipeg late yesterday afternoon that "our thoughts are with Mr. Young."
She said Juno show producers will announce today how the show at the MTS Centre (CTV, Sunday 8:30 p.m.) will proceed without Young.
The aneurysm was discovered after Young performed with the Pretenders on March 14 at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction gala in New York. He experienced what his publicist described as "visual field disturbances."
Rather than have surgery immediately, Young spent the next week in Nashville recording for an unannounced project.
