Korn’s Jonathan Davis opens up about COVID-19 battle: “I was scared shitless”

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has opened up about the after-effects of contracting COVID-19 back in August.

The singer tested positive for the virus on August 14, two weeks after Korn embarked on their latest US tour. Davis’ contraction meant the band had to cancel six of their scheduled shows. Davis returned to the stage to complete the tour after recovering, however did so by performing seated from a throne and using oxygen onstage.

In a new interview with HardDrive Online, Davis spoke to how he struggled with the after-effects of COVID-19, and how he had to push himself to make it to the end of the tour.

“I was scared shitless,” he said of receiving a positive result. “I was freaking out. I was totally wiped out. I couldn’t move – just the body aches. I didn’t eat for a month, damn near. But thank God it didn’t get into my lungs; that would have freaked me really out.

“I got through it and tested negative on the 25th [and] I played a show the next day. And I was beat up, but I just couldn’t find it in my heart… I just wanted to get through it because I saw how happy people were to see live music and I just didn’t wanna let anyone down.”

Other members of Korn also contracted the virus over the course of the tour, with rhythm guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer and drummer Ray Luzier also cancelling live appearances after testing positive.

Since then, Korn have announced their forthcoming 14th studio album ‘Requiem’, sharing its lead single ‘Start the Healing’. The nine-song release is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘The Nothing’, and is expected to drop on February 4, 2022.