Former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Jeff Scott Soto shared an Instagram post to update fans about Billy Sheehan‘s temporary separation from the Sons of Apollo.
The pandemic has affected many band tours over the past few years, and Sons Of Apollo was no exception. They rescheduled the dates for this year. ‘MMXX South America Tour’ dates are scheduled for August.
After waiting so long, the band was excited to hit the road to perform for their fans. However, it turned out that bassist Billy Sheehan could not join his bandmates for the scheduled tour due to travel restrictions.
Soto took his Instagram to explain Sheehan’s sudden temporary departure. He added that the musician had to leave due to unforeseen circumstances but that Sheehan is their brother and they will miss him. Soto also mentioned that Angra’s Felipe Andreoli would replace the bassist for the upcoming shows. Finally, Soto thanked their fans for their continued support as they tried returning to normality.
The IG post of Jeff Scott Soto is as follows:
“I needed a break from social media the past day for obvious reasons, but as life goes on while I’m dealing with my personal loss, I have to address two major things disclosed today.
First, it is now out there that Billy won’t be joining us for the upcoming shows next month. None of us are happy about this; Billy is our bandmate and brother. To do any shows without any of these guys is something none of us wanted or normally would agree to.
I don’t need to go into further details on why he isn’t going to be with us, it had to happen based on far too many circumstances beyond our control, and we will make the most of this challenging situation. I will cap this part with we’ll miss him dearly on these shows, and we have nothing but love and respect for our brother.”
He added:
“That being said, from anyone else I can imagine to help us get through these shows, I can’t be happier that my Brazilian bro Felipe Andreoli of Angra will take on the task of kicking ass with us. He is one of the greatest contemporary bassists out there today, and I feel his presence will make it so we can get through this successfully.
It’s a crazy time still, especially in music and touring, so many are dealing and doing what they must get back to YOU; thank you for the undying support and love along the way as we all navigate our way back to normalcy, Freddie said it best. The SHOW MUST GO ON!
August 09 – Curitiba BR – Opera de Arame
August 11 – Rio de Janeiro BR – Circo Voador
August 13 – Sao Paulo BR – Tokio Marine Hall
August 14 – Brasilia BR – Toinha Brasil Show
August 16 – Santiago CL – Teatro Cariola
August 18 – Buenos Aires AR – Teatro Flores”
You can see the IG post below.
Photo Credit: Jeff Scott Soto – Instagram
