Lionel Richie performs on stage at The Muny in St. Louis on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (Photo By David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - An Earth, Wind & Fire drummer who suffered a heart attack on the night of a San Francisco concert date is now in medical rehabilitation but is still in need of financial help, according to a fundraiser his wife's friend posted.
Drummer in need, concert canceled
Why you should care:
Kathy Merrick and husband, John Paris, a drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire. Photo: GoFundMe
At the same time, the twice-postponed San Francisco concert at Chase Center with Lionel Richie has now been formally canceled, according to Ticketmaster.
The latest GoFundMe update says that John Paris, 58, a drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire, has moved into rehabilitation following two months in the hospital. The fundraiser also mentioned that Paris suffered a spinal cord injury.
No medical insurance
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Medical emergency prompts cancellation of Earth, Wind & Fire, Lionel Ritchie concert at Chase Center
A band member suffered an unspecified emergency at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday night, prompting a Lionel Ritchie and Earth, Wind & Fire concert at the venue to be postponed.
Paris has no medical insurance, and his wife, Kathy Merrick, who is also a musician, left her work and home in Los Angeles, to be by her husband's side, according to the fundraiser.
Paris' prolonged hospitalization and continuing medical needs have created a "financial situation far beyond what we anticipated," according to the fundraiser, which added that the couple are "pursuing every available source of assistance," including Medicare and workers’ compensation, but what ultimately will be covered remains unresolved.
Paris was hospitalized Aug. 6, after a medical emergency shortly before Earth, Wind & Fire was scheduled to perform with Richie at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
The concert was called off minutes before its scheduled start, leaving fans outside the arena and forcing organizers to reschedule the show.
That new date was later postponed to Sept. 26, but that date was also put on hold after Richie underwent a procedure to address his own heart problem, described as atrial fibrillation, or a heart rhythm disorder. Richie’s representative said the procedure went well and that the singer would take time off to recover.
This week, concert goers got a notice from TicketMaster saying that the concert at Chase Center has now been canceled. Refunds, however, at least for some fans, have not yet been issued.
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The Source: Information for this story comes from a GoFundMe, TicketMaster and prior KTVU reporting.