Dave Benett/Getty ImagesNow that Kings of Leon's latest trek has been K.O.'d by personal issues on the part of Caleb Followill, will its embattled frontman get his act together?
The band and disappointed fans want to know.
Two days after the KOL scrapped its U.S. tour in the wake of last Friday's debacle of a performance in Dallas—Followill walked off the stage citing heat exhaustion—a source close to the rockers tells Us Weekly that the singer-guitarist's problems have less to do with exhaustion and everything to do with the bottle.
"They are trying to get Caleb to go to rehab. It is mostly for alcohol," an insider in the Kings' camp tells the magazine. "[That's why] they ended up canceling the whole tour...he drinks like a fish."
As if further proof was needed, Followill halted Friday's concert with this gem of a goodbye: "I'm gonna go backstage and I'm gonna vomit, I'm gonna drink a beer."
"It's true," another unnamed source is quoted in Us. "Caleb's drinking is out of control and they are trying to get him into rehab. It's a dark demon he has been fighting for a while."
If true, the demon's wreaking havoc on Kings of Leon's touring plans
A statement on the Kings of Leon's official website cited "vocal issues and exhaustion" as the reason for the break, a line reiterated again today by the band's publicist, who also refused to comment on reports of alcohol abuse.
(In fact, Vector Management, which reps the band, has started ordering YouTube clips of Caleb telling the audience he was going to vomit then drink a beer taken down, citing copyright violation, though you can relive the memories here.)
"The reason for the cancellation of the tour is Caleb is under doctor's orders for vocal rest," the band's publicist tells E! News. "They feel terrible about canceling. They look forward to getting back on the road at the end of September."
Ironically, in the wake of last week's disastrous gig, Caleb's brother, Jared, hinted as much that booze may be the cause of Caleb's troubles, writing on Twitter Saturday: "Dallas, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. There are internal sicknesses & problems that have needed to be addressed. No words."
He then added: "I love our fans so much. I know you guys aren't stupid. I can't lie. There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade."
Whether or not Caleb actually goes to rehab, an apologetic Kings hopes to make it up to Dallas devotees with another show set for Sept. 22, after which they'll head to Canada, South Africa and Australia in the fall.
Let's hope he's got his demon under control by then.