Jay Buchanan, the soulful voice behind rock juggernauts Rival Sons, has announced that he will be stepping away from the road for the next several months to care for his wife, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The revelation came during a conversation with Steve Harkins on TalkShopLive‘s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Channel.” While discussing his forthcoming solo debut, Weapons Of Beauty, Buchanan explained that his schedule for the immediate future has shifted from the stage to the home front.
When asked about his plans for the coming months, Buchanan revealed the personal battle his family is currently facing, while remaining optimistic about the prognosis.
“I’ll have some touring, some solo touring, some solo shows, and Rival Sons is gonna make another record. I’m gonna be home for likely the next four to five months, as my wife, we get her back to health. She’s dealing with breast cancer,” Buchanan said.
He continued, emphasizing that his focus has narrowed entirely to supporting her recovery, though he assured fans that the band remains active and supportive.
“I appreciate everyone’s well wishes, and she’s gonna be okay. Science and medicine, they’ve come a long way. But I just really wanna focus on doing everything I can to make sure that she gets back to health. And Rival Sons, the whole band, they’re behind me. We’re a family, so everyone understands. But I’m gonna take some downtime and make sure that she’s okay, which she will be. And then after that, it’s touring. I’ll be right back to touring and making another record and doing the whole thing.”
In a poignant moment during the interview, Buchanan reflected on the unique position he is in as a professional musician. He acknowledged that many families facing similar diagnoses do not have the luxury of pausing their careers to provide full-time care.
“Well, I have the privilege of not having a boss. I have the privilege of being able to take time off and to be there with her. Most people, out here in Southern California with Pink Lotus and Cedars-Sinai [Medical Center] and all of these — City Of Hope — we have access to some of the finest in the world here when it comes to healthcare. The majority of people that go through this terrible thing, they don’t have this, they don’t have access. Husbands can’t stay home with their wives to take care of them, and I just feel so incredibly fortunate that I get to do this, and that I have the support of the band, that I have the support of all of these people reaching out online. I have a very, very privileged, very privileged perspective on this, and I’m very thankful for it.”
Despite the hiatus, Buchanan remains creatively prolific. His debut solo album, Weapons Of Beauty, is set for release on February 6 via Sacred Tongue Records / Thirty Tigers. Produced by his longtime collaborator and Grammy winner Dave Cobb, the album features contributions from an ensemble of top-tier musicians including Brian Allen, Chris Powell, and J.D. Simo.
Additionally, Buchanan recently stepped into the world of cinema, making his acting debut in the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.” He portrays the frontman of the Stone Pony house band—a role that introduced him to director Scott Cooper, who ultimately helped sequence the tracks for Weapons Of Beauty.
