Rik Emmett's Hair Loss After Triumph's Comeback Tour

Rik Emmett said his hair fell out after Triumph’s recent comeback tour, and that health was his main priority in deciding whether to return to action.

The band staged their first road trip in over 30 years, with more to follow, and Emmett predicted he’d wear a hat for much of it.

“I went to my wife, and I said, ‘I don’t know – should I come out of retirement? I don't think I want to,’” he told Talkin’ Bout Rock in a recent interview.

“She said, ‘Let’s start with pros. … What would be the best thing about it?’ I said, ‘Well, for starters, I’m gonna have to get in shape. I’m gonna have to lose like 15 or 20 pounds, and I’m gonna have to get a personal trainer or something.’

“She said, ‘Well, honey, we don’t even have to do any more pros and cons. That’s reason enough for you to do it. You’re gonna get your health back, and that’s a great thing.’”

He reported that he “felt great” during the tour, but that a “crazy summer” followed. “My wife and I were having our 50th anniversary, and my hair started falling out. … I had alopecia areata, and I lost all my hair. So it was like, ‘That’s not so great.’

“I’m sort of dealing with that and coping with that. And I’m not exactly sure how that one’s going to play out before the tour. You may see me as a guy wearing a lot of hats. But however it plays out, I feel good. My health is good. I’m strong, and I feel like I can play and sing – not every night.”

Why Triumph’s Next Tour Dates Will Be Easier for Rik Emmett

Emmett explained that Triumph’s upcoming schedule was more sensitive to his energy levels. "On the first leg, we … played four shows in four nights, and after the fourth night. … I said to everybody … ‘I’m never doing this again. I’m never gonna play four in four nights.’

“And they went, ‘Oh, OK. Yeah, we hear you.’’And so this next leg, it’s gonna be much more reasonable. Like, two nights, one off. One on, one off. Or two on, four off.

“It’s gonna be very spread out, and it’ll make it a lot easier for me to survive physically and for my throat to make it.”