Last year, guitarist Walter Trout was hit with a life-threatening liver disease, which caused him to lose 100 pounds.
"For five years, Walter, Provogue Records and I have worked toward making Walter's 25th year as a solo artist a special celebratory event," Marie Trout says.
"But the festivities will have to wait. Walter is urgently in need of a liver transplant. It has been heart-breaking for me to watch Walter struggle through these past many months, as we tried various treatment options provided by Walter's doctors and liver specialists.
"One by one the treatments failed. Yet through it all, Walter's courage and determination continually amazed me. Even as he has become a shadow of his former self, after losing 100 pounds and much of his strength, he continued touring, writing, playing, singing and recording.
"Music and playing for people offered Walter what it always has: It is therapy and a life-line for him when the Blues comes callin'. Thus the theme of this album is colored by his confrontation with mortality combined with a deep, all-abiding desire to persevere, and a good dose of typical Walter'esque life-affirming defiance!"
Provogue and Mascot Label Group's Ed van Zijl adds:
"When Walter re-joined Provogue in 2008, we talked about a plan leading up to the 25th anniversary of his career as a solo artist which is this year, 2014. Besides a new album, we made a book and a documentary. Not only to make people aware of the 25th anniversary, but also to have people realize how good and how important an artist Walter is for the blues rock genre.
"The touring set up for 2014 was fantastic with shows at the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Carre Theater in Amsterdam among many other great ones. Instead of being out there on the road, Walter is fighting for his life. and there is nothing to celebrate at the moment.
"This is so very, very sad and we are all praying for Walter to come out on top. The album will be released as planned, and Walter definitely wants this one to be heard. In the meantime our hearts are with Walter and his family."
The label will release Trout's The Blues Came Callin' June 10 in North America. The album was recorded throughout 2013. The songs reflect Trout's thoughts about mortality and his renewed appreciation for being alive. The Blues Came Callin' features 12 new songs, 10 of which are originals. One is written by John Mayall for the occasion; the other is a J.B. Lenoir cover.
Trout searches his soul on the album and lays it bare allowing the celebration of his career to be infused with new appreciation for life. The upcoming official biography is co-written with British music journalist, Henry Yates. The manuscript will be released simultaneously with the new album. Titled Rescued From Reality: The Life and Times of Walter Trout, the book features previously untold stories, and is packed with rare photographs from the musician's personal archive.
Trout is awaiting a liver transplant at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. A fundraising initiative began last week to support Trout and his family; it can be viewed here.
For more information, visit waltertrout.com.
