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Korn Get By With a Little Help From Their Friends

Korn's lead singer Jonathan Davis got a scare this weekend when he was rushed to a London hospital to be treated for a blood disorder called immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). As Davis put it in a post on the band's official website, "my blood platelets were really low. If I continued to headbang onstage, I could have had a brain hemorrhage and dropped dead on the spot."

Korn has been forced to cancel several shows on its European tour while doctors monitor Davis' condition, which he assures fans is improving rapidly. In a surprise move, however, the band decided to go ahead with their appearance at the U.K. Download Festival this past Saturday, the day after Davis was hospitalized. Instead of canceling their slot in the festival lineup, the other members of Korn put the word out about Davis' illness and got an all-star lineup of guest vocalists to take his place. Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows took the mic for "Falling Away From Me"; Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor sang "Clown" and "Freak on a Leash"; Skindred's Benji Webbe belted out "A.D.I.D.A.S."'; DevilDriver's Dez Fafara took on "Somebody, Someone" and "Coming Undone"; Trivium's Matt Heafy performed "Blind"; and Jesse Hasek of 10 Years handled vocal duties for "It's On!" Quite the impromptu tribute to a band and a lead singer who's been leading the nu metal pack for over a decade -- it's just too bad Lil Jon wasn't available to sing "Twisted Transistor" (he stood in for Davis in the song's hilarious video).

In his post on the Korn website, Davis thanked all the singers who filled in for him, along with "my band and crew for all their love and support, my loving family and friends and most of all the fans, the best fans in the world."

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
06.12.06