It was Sin City Rejects bassist Jason Green who first informed BraveWords about Stryper guitarist Oz Fox recently falling ill (full details can be found here). Green has since issued the following update:

"I visited with Oz yesterday after his Spinal Tap procedure, he was in good spirits, considering how much he is going through. It's still a long road ahead for Oz, as he will need a biopsy on his brain. I wanted to say, for the record, I am not sharing any personal information that his wife has not already made public, but I know many people are concerned about Oz."

"He said he is very thankful for all the nice words & prayers, he is seeing the messages, but I don't think he could possibly respond to all of them. Oz is one of the most loyal & caring friends I've known, he never has a bad word to say about anyone (I need to work on that). Oz has been there for me & many others through some really hard times, now it's time to be there for Oz."

"I will let Oz's loving wife Annie update everyone on his status & results as they come in. (Picture is from two weeks ago)."

Yesterday, Monday August 13th, Stryper issued the following statement regarding Oz Fox:

"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."