EARTH, WIND & FIRE DRUMMER JOHN PARIS IN MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA FOLLOWING CARDIAC EMERGENCY IN SAN FRANCISCO!
Honey, hold onto your heart and send up your prayers, because the music world is rallying behind legendary drummer John Paris after a terrifying medical emergency on tour!
The 58-year-old musician—who has held down the rhythm section for Earth, Wind & Fire for 25 years—suffered a sudden “cardiac incident” on August 6. Emergency responders rushed Paris to a local hospital just minutes before the iconic funk band was set to take the stage alongside co-headliner Lionel Richie at San Francisco’s Chase Center, forcing the venue to postpone the concert.
A Brief Moment Of Hope Before Resedation
In an emotional Facebook update shared by Paris’s family and bandmates, loved ones detailed the agonizing roller coaster of his hospitalization:
- Emergency Induced Coma: Upon arriving at the hospital, medical staff immediately placed Paris into an induced coma to administer critical care.
- A Precious Moment Awake: Days into his hospital stay, Paris briefly woke up, opened his eyes, and looked around the room. Seeing his loved ones, his first words were asking for his wife, Kathy Merrick: “Where’s Kathy?” He even joked with his close friend, saxophonist Eddie M, saying, “Get me outta here, man!”
- Complications Force Sedation: Tragically, the brief reunion was cut short when his blood pressure spiked and he began having severe breathing difficulties. Doctors made the difficult decision to re-sedate him to stabilize his body.
- Reacting To Music: His family shared that Paris remains sedated, but noted a touching sign of hope: he still shows slight physical responses whenever music is played in his hospital room.
A GoFundMe organized by friends and family to cover sudden medical and care expenses has already raised tens of thousands of dollars as messages of love pour in from across the industry.
Tour Distractions & Concert Rescheduling
The Chase Center confirmed that the postponed San Francisco concert has been rescheduled for September 26.
The incident marks another health complication on the Sing a Song All Night Long tour. Earlier this summer, co-headliner Lionel Richie briefly halted a performance in St. Paul, Minnesota, after suffering a bout of onstage dizziness—joking with the crowd, “When you are feeling dizzy, sit your as down,”* before pausing the show to recover.
In addition to his quarter-century tenure with Earth, Wind & Fire, John Paris is a revered session and touring powerhouse who has performed with Sheila E., Patti LaBelle, Kelly Clarkson, Stephanie Mills, and Bruce Hornsby.
We are keeping John, his wife Kathy, their daughter Kyla, and the entire Earth, Wind & Fire family in our prayers for a full recovery!