Blues prodigy Jonny Lang, citing a viral infection in his throat, has bowed out of his stint on the B.B. King Blues Music Festival, leaving tour promoters scrambling to fill his space. Lang was scheduled to debut at the festival in mid-September. |

A spokesman for the festival, which began Aug. 7 and runs through Sept. 27, said any one of ten artists -- among them George Thorogood and Keb' Mo' -- may join King, Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi and a rotating cast of players for the remainder of the tour. He added that the Neville Brothers, who appeared on the first half of the festival, may return to complete the tour.

Lang apparently became ill while touring with Buddy Guy earlier this summer, and now doctors have instructed him to take the road not traveled. The seventeen-year-old guitar slinger is scheduled to tour Europe this fall following the Oct. 20 release of his sophomore album, Wander This World (A&M).

ARI BENDERSKY(Aug. 28, 1998)