Nickelback cancels tour so Chad Kroeger can get surgery

Chad Kroeger performs at the Juno Awards, in Ottawa, on Sunday, April 1, 2012. (AP/Arthur Mola)

TORONTO - Nickelback is cancelling the rest of its North American tour because singer Chad Kroeger needs vocal cord surgery.

The band says in a statement that the 40-year-old has an operable cyst on his voice box and will undergo surgery in three weeks.

The Hanna, Alta., rockers had initially cancelled their weekend gigs in the hopes of a quick recovery.

The cancelled dates include shows in Quebec City and Ottawa, along with dozens of cities in the United States.

The band expects Kroeger to be ready for a European run beginning in Finland on Sept. 30.

Nickelback is also expected to tour North America again next year.