News began circulating this morning that Stryper's Oz Fox suffered a medical emergency on stage in Las Vegas overnight. In order to provide accurate information and dispel any rumors, the band has issued an official statement:

Our dear friend and lead-guitarist Oz Fox fell ill Saturday night while performing in Las Vegas with a side project that he sometimes plays in when not touring with Stryper. Oz suffered a seizure causing a fall on stage. After performing an MRI, doctors discovered an area of concern near his brain which they are now running a biopsy on. The doctors have instructed him not to drive or fly for 90 days. No additional information is available at this time. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and we will communicate additional information as it becomes available.

The logistics and options for current tour dates are being discussed with the respective promoters. U.S. tour dates will play as scheduled and in anticipation of a full recovery will include Oz Fox. The upcoming Australian tour will be performed as a trio (with the blessing of Oz), and will include Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Perry Richardson. For our fans in Japan, please await an announcement from the concert promoter there as to the plans for the Japan tour.

New information will first be communicated via Stryper.com and Stryper's official Facebook page.

Rocking since 1984, STRYPER is responsible for such classic '80s metal albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil and In God We Trust. In fact, STRYPER is the first band to ever have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously with their hits “Free” and “Honestly.” After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, STRYPER returned strong in the early 21st century. Their latest album, God Damn Evil (Frontiers Music srl), was released in April. To date, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated band has sold over 10 million records worldwide.

For more information, visit www.Stryper.com.

All media requests should be directed to Brian Mayes at Nashville Publicity Group, brian@nashvillepublicity.com or 615-771-2040.