John Paris Enters Rehab After Spinal Cord Injury

Okay, so. John Paris, the drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire, has entered rehab after spending more than two months in a San Francisco hospital. TMZ reports he suffered a spinal cord injury during a medical emergency in August and recently left the hospital to begin the next phase of recovery. His family says it will be a long road before he can regain his independence and return home.

Paris's medical emergency happened on August 6, just before Earth, Wind & Fire and Lionel Richie were scheduled to play at San Francisco's Chase Center. The San Francisco Fire Department told TMZ they responded to a cardiac incident, and one person was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He was placed in an induced coma, briefly woke up and joked to a friend, "Get me outta here," but was sedated again when his blood pressure rose and he struggled to breathe.

The band's concert with Lionel Richie, already postponed twice, has now been canceled. Paris and his wife, musician Kathy Merrick, are also facing serious financial strain. TMZ reports they did not have medical insurance when the emergency happened. Friends have organized a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical and living expenses, raising nearly $98,000 toward a $100,000 goal.

Lionel Richie had his own health scares earlier this year, including an onstage incident in June where he said he felt dizzy and strange and cut his performance short.

• Earth, Wind & Fire
• GoFundMe
• John Paris
• Lionel Richie
• rehab
• spinal cord injury