Stryper guitarist Oz Fox was hospitalized on Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 after suffering a major seizure. He was put on an anti-seizure medication following the episode and plans were made for Fox to undergo brain surgery for two tumors that were first discovered in August 2018. Fox underwent the first of two planned surgeries on March 4th. He has checked in with the following update:

Fox: "Hey there folks! I wanted to make a quick announcement letting you all know that my recovery is going very well from my first surgery. Thankfully, after about three months of recovery I was able to record with the band in June. The circumstances for that project were well conditioned for my limited abilities at the time and I'm happy to say it was a successful mission, but not without it's challenges for me. With that in mind, after my next surgery to remove my acoustic neuroma behind the left ear, my wife Annie and I feel it would be best for me to take the rest of the year off for some solid recovery time. Another big project is coming for Stryper in January and I really would like to be in my best shape for the task. 

With all of that in mind, I have strongly encouraged my brothers in the band to continue with booked shows coming up in the next few months with our dear friend Howie Simon covering my duties. Howie is an amazing guitar player and vocalist and I trust him to fully 'out-shred' me for those up and coming dates! So I am trusting you all to welcome him with open arms so the band can continue to work in my absence. 

I will be updating everyone on my health status as things come up. And I thank you for your prayers and encouragement as I face another risky procedure. I know God will be with me like he was for the last one. I am thankful for everything he has pulled me through! Of course I will continue to be a part of our social media platforms including our patreon page where we all have our weekly hour Q& A sessions. So I hope to see you all there! 

Take care and we'll see you soon!" 

Frontman Michael Sweet checked in with the following update prior to Fox's surgery:

"Hi friends - the online store has just rolled out three versions of an Oz Fox T you're gonna need. Two soft ringspun cotton Ts and an old-school baseball T, printed with eco-friendly water based discharge ink, these Ts have a great vintage feel.  And what makes these shirts even cooler: all proceeds go directly to Oz!

As many of you know, my lifelong friend and bandmate is going in for brain surgery very soon. To help with the enormous medical bills associated with this surgery,  we have launched 3 Oz Fox T-shirts in the Stryper store as part of an overall fundraising effort.  Please consider picking up one, or more, of these cool exclusive shirts. Also - if you want to donate more than the shirt cost, you can do so when checking out and 100% of the money will go to Oz. And most importantly, please join us in continued prayers for him."

Go to Stryper's official merch store here.

Stryper's live schedule for 2021 is as follows:

September
9 - Epic Event Center - Ashwaubenon, WI
10 - Rocktember Music Festival - Hinckley, MN
11 - The Arcada Theatre - St. Charles, IL

October
21-25 - Chris Jericho's Rock N' Wrestly Rager At Sea - Miami, FL / Grand Bahama Island