Turnpike Troubadours Ask Fans to ‘Keep Us in Your Prayers’ as They Cancel More Shows

Oklahoma country band the Turnpike Troubadours have canceled another set of shows, scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, and fans are concerned that the band may be breaking up. The band posted an apologetic statement on Instagram on Friday (May 24), and asked fans to pray for them.

"This weekend’s shows are unfortunately not going to happen for Turnpike Troubadours. On behalf of the band we apologize for all the cancellations previously and this weekend," the band writes. "We are saddened by the situation and want you all to know we tried our best to stay positive during this stressful time. However, we have been standing at the crossroads, optimistically in hopes of healing, but it was not meant to be. We ask for your prayers and support as it is our hope that our brother receives the encouragement and help he needs."

The Turnpike Troubadours have been canceling shows sporadically, and often at the last minute, for months now, largely without explanation. At the shows the band has performed, frontman Evan Felker has been slurring his words and forgetting lyrics, leaving fans worried about his wellness. The rest of the band has kept their statements about the situation vague.

On social media, fans reacting to the news were left puzzled by the statement's last lines: "Thank you all for the sold out shows, the memories, and support ... Please keep us in your prayers." Some fans believe those words to mean that the band is breaking up; however, the Turnpike Troubadours' tour calendar still has a number of upcoming shows on it. A representative for the band tells The Boot there is no further comment beyond what's been shared on social media.

The Turnpike Troubadours have released five studio albums since forming in the late 2000s; their most recent record, 2017's A Long Way From Your Heart, earned the No. 1 spot on the folk and indie charts and the No. 3 spot on the country charts. During the band's run on Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town's Bandwagon Tour in 2018, Lambert and Felker reportedly began dating while they both were in relationships with other people: Lambert with boyfriend of two years Anderson East and Felker with wife Staci, from whom he then filed for divorce.

Neither Lambert nor Felker commented on the matter, but photos of the two holding hands made their way around the internet in July. However, in late August, Lambert told the Tennessean that she was single; around the same time, Felker's ex-wife defended him to critics on social media. That's also when the concert cancellations began.

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