Kansas have canceled their next two concerts following news that vocalist Ronnie Platt is battling cancer.The singer revealed earlier this week that he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer on Feb. 11. “Before everyone gets all excited, it has a 99% survival rate [and] it has not spread,” he wrote on social media. “It’s contained to my thyroid [and] I just have to have my thyroid removed. [I’ll] go through some rehab time and be right back in the saddle. I sincerely appreciate everyone’s positive thoughts and prayers. I have some absolutely amazing people going to bat for me. As it has been put to me, this is just a bump in the road and will be behind me very soon! So everyone, please CARRY ON!”As a result of Platt’s current situation, Kansas made the decision to cancel two Louisiana concerts in New Orleans on Feb. 21 and Lake Charles on March 1. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. They also rescheduled two earlier dates in Oklahoma to November. “Our goal is to be back on the road as soon as possible,” assistant band manager J.R. Rees tells UCR. “Right now, we’re all focused on supporting Ronnie through this.”Ronnie Platt’s History With KansasThe vocalist has been with Kansas for more than a decade now and can be heard performing on the two most recent studio albums, 2016’s The Prelude Implicit and 2020’s The Absence of Presence. He joined the band in July 2014 after longtime singer Steve Walsh announced his departure earlier that month.As Platt told UCR later during a 2016 interview, he got the job with Kansas in a whirlwind four day period that included him flying from his home area of Chicago to Atlanta for three hours. But the circumstances of the trip were unique, because he wasn’t being asked to audition. “We know you can sing your ass off,” they told him. “We just want to know if you’re a good guy who fits in with the band.”. By the time he woke up the next morning, he had an email from drummer Phil Ehart, letting him know that he had the gig.”[It was] complete numbness,” he laughed, remembering the first show he played with Kansas. “You know, when I think about it, it’s still surreal. Just being a huge prog rocker from the late ‘70s, I mean, I grew up just listening to everything Kansas put out, So as a huge prog rocker and just having a similar tonality to Steve’s voice, you know, I always felt a close affection to singing Kansas stuff.”Kansas wrapped up its 50th anniversary tour at the end of last year with a show in Pittsburgh, which featured a number of special highlights, including a guest appearance by original bassist Dave Hope. Their upcoming plans for the year include a series of co-headlining dates this summer with 38 Special.READ MORE: Kansas and 38 Special Announce Summer 2025 TourKansas 2024 Reunion ShowKansas celebrated the end of its Another Fork in the Road 50th Anniversary tour by putting the band — or at least some of it — back together again.Next: Kansas Albums Ranked