Red-hot country star Morgan Wallen informed fans Tuesday that he’ll be rescheduling the next six weeks’ worth of shows due to mounting damage to his vocal cords.

A couple of weeks ago, Wallen abruptly called of a Mississippi concert shortly before showtime, saying his voice was shot. He postponed several other shows before returning to the stage, but said he’d received a stark warning from doctors.

“I got some bad news from my doctors at the Vanderbilt Voice Center yesterday,” Wallen said in a video message posted on his social media accounts. “After taking ten days of vocal rest, I performed three shows last weekend in Florida and by the third one I felt terrible. So I went in and got scoped yesterday, and they told me that I reinjured my vocal cords and that I have vocal fold trauma. Their advice is that I go on vocal rest for six weeks, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

According to medical references, “vocal folds” is a newer term for “vocal cords,” adopted in part because it offers a more accurate description of certain muscular structures in the larynx.

“They want me not to talk at all, but they said if I need to, it’s okay to for something like this,” Wallen continued. “I also tore my lat [the latissiumus dorsi muscle on the back below the shoulder] while we were in Australia, I’ve been trying to work through that quietly, but this time off is going to help me get that back right as well.

“We are working on rescheduling all the dates during this timeframe,” he said. “We’ve almost got that done but some of them are pending, so I’ll keep you updated. I won’t be able to make these festivals that I have during this timeframe, but we are going to make those right next year.”

They told me that if I do this the right way, I’ll get back to 100% and they also said that if I don’t listen and I keep singing, then I’ll permanently damage my voice.

“So for the longevity of my career, this is just a choice I had to make,” Wallen said. “I hate it. But I love you guys, and I appreciate all the support that you always give me.”

It wasn’t immediately clear exactly how many dates were affected, but it appears they won’t include any dates in Alabama. Upcoming shows in May and June include stops in New Jersey, Texas, Atlanta, Virginia, South Carolina and Pennsylvania. They also include the Gulf Coast Jam festival June 3 in Panama City Beach, Fla. Wallen did specify that he won’t performa the Academy of Country Music Awards, where he’s up for Entertainer of the Year.

Organizers of the Gulf Coast Jam confirmed Wallen is dropping from their lineup, but expressed support. They said “a major announcement will be made shortly” about a replacement.

“Morgan was the first 2023 headliner we announced last year, and the anticipation to see his amazing show, along with HARDY, Miranda and Kane and the rest of our incredible lineup, was off the charts,” said Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam Executive Producer Rendy Lovelady. “We’ve seen time and time again how brutal this business on the body, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Morgan for a full recovery.”

According to information from an agency representing Wallen, “Tickets for the original dates will be honored for all rescheduled performances” and “A 30-day refund window will open at point of purchase when new dates are announced imminently.”