In 2001 the band - which now featured drummer Matthew Letley - cancelled thee concerts after Parfitt was diagnosed with repetitive strain injury (RSI) and could not play the guitar.
But Parfitt and Rossi put the setback behind them, making a cameo appearance in Coronation Street and releasing their 33rd album, The Party Ain't Over Yet - 40 Years of Status Quo.
Health problems hit in 1997 when Parfitt's old lifestyle of drink and drugs began to take its toll and he underwent a quadruple heart bypass after doctors warned he could die at any time.