Asia’s Palmer Talks E. Coli Battle

Asia drummer Carl Palmer has commented on his illness, which has forced the band to cancel a December tour of the UK.

"I was given less than a 10-percent chance of playing the tour. On Thursday afternoon, under strict instructions from my doctors, I was told I had to cancel. By this time, I could hardly stand up to the infection. E. coli had completely taken over.

"I have always been proud of the fact that I have never canceled a tour in my professional career, in 47 years as a musician. It had always been a personal goal of mine to maintain this feat, now sadly lost...

"I would like to thank all of the people involved, including the promoters and all of the management involved in helping me through this terrible experience. The messages and support from bandmates have been so warm. Most of all, many thanks to Asia fans for being so understanding."

The week of dates, which were scheduled to start this past weekend, is part of Asia's 30th anniversary tour.