The Offspring guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman won't be appearing on stage for the foreseeable future.
The rocker, 63, announced he is taking a hiatus from performing due to unspecified medical reasons in an Instagram post Wednesday, Oct. 21.
"It is with deep sadness that I have to announce that I need to step away from live performances for a while to deal with a sudden and fairly serious health issue," Wasserman wrote. "The rest of the band has my back, is super supportive, and will keep rocking you all in my absence. 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," he concluded.
Fans and famous friends took
to the comments to offer words of support for Wasserman, with Simple Plan‘s Pierre Bouvier writing, "Hope you’re ok brother. Sending love and positivity. You’re a legend…. You got this. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️"
Bowling for Soup frontman Jaret Reddick commented, "Love you man…Health and family first! Be well my friend!"
How Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman and the Offspring rose to fame
Wasserman recently played at the Offspring's show in San Diego on Oct. 18, and the group has several upcoming performances on the schedule, including in Los Angeles on Oct. 24; Las Vegas on Nov. 6; the Corona Capital 2026 music festival in Mexico City on Nov. 21; and iHeartRadio ALTer Ego on Jan. 16, 2027 in Los Angeles.
The artist has been a part of the Offspring since it formed in the '80s under a different name. The group rose to prominence with its 1994 breakthrough album, "Smash," featuring hits including "Come Out and Play," "Self Esteem" and "Gotta Get Away." The band later found success with "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)."
The group has continued making music, releasing their 11th studio album, "Supercharged," in 2024. Wasserman and lead singer Dexter Holland spoke to USA TODAY about the album and Offspring's legacy in an interview that year.
"We’re very stoked with the success," Wasserman said. "You always hope that it's going to happen, but you never know. We’re super-stoked with how well the song ["Make it All Right"] has done and how well the whole record's been doing so far."
Reflecting on getting their start more than three decades ago, he explained "not a whole lot changed" until after their 1992 album “Ignition" came out.
"We recorded on a shoestring budget, a lot of times spur-of-the-moment," Wasserman recalled. "Our producer lived in his RV to help us finish that record. When 'Come Out and Play' was given to the local radio station, KROQ in LA, and Jed the Fish played it during afternoon rush hour as his Catch of the Day, it took off from there."
When asked if he still likes being on the road and touring all these years later, he replied, "Yeah. I mean, traveling beats you up, but I love the new experiences, meeting new people, trying new food, new cultures. I love all that."
Wasserman also opened up about his hobbies and how he makes time for himself out of the spotlight.
"It’s really easy to get out and just go for a hike and take your binoculars," he said. "Whenever I have a day off in New York City, you can go watch birds in Central Park. Where I live, there's wetlands, there's hills, you can go hike. I just like getting out and enjoying the outdoors and moving."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Offspring guitarist steps away from shows due to 'serious health issue'
