Toni Braxton, Aerosmith retire from touring; Rod Stewart cancels 2 more shows (due to "COVID"); PinkPantheress cancels all this year's shows; Pooh cancels show in Italy; Arijit Singh postpones UK tour
Comic John Tothill's appendix bursts on stage in Edinburgh; ATI unable to join concert in Botswana; Australia's Gretta Ray "has cancelled her shows to recover from a rare heart disease"
UNITED STATES
Toni Braxton says she 'should be dead' after nearly suffering heart attack, but late sister Traci was 'watching over' her
August 9, 2024
Toni Braxton believes her sister Traci Braxton was her guardian angel during a recent health scare. On the series premiere of The Braxtons on Aug. 9, Toni, 56, was hesitant to tell her sisters Towanda, Trina, Tamar and mother Dr. Evelyn Braxton about nearly suffering a heart attack two years after her sister Traci’s death from esophageal cancer. Over dinner, the “Un-Break My Heart” singer finally revealed the full extent of her own health struggles. Toni told her family she nearly had a widowmaker heart attack — which the Cleveland Clinic describes as “a type of heart attack in which you have a full blockage in your heart's biggest artery.” Toni then revealed that she will “eventually” need bypass surgery despite having a stent in her heart. “I had to have a stent put in my heart, which was extremely scary,” she shared in a confessional. “That's a very scary procedure itself, but when my doctor told me I might not ever be able to do a tour again. Okay? I heard it before, but this was different. They say you may never be able to do another tour because you could have a heart attack.”
Aerosmith announces they're retiring from touring, cite Steven Tyler's vocal issues
August 2, 2024
Aerosmith's officially finished touring. The iconic rock band just announced they've made the hard choice to retire from the concert circuit 'cause Steven Tyler's [76] voice finally gave out. They broke the news in a heartfelt Instagram post Friday, saying that after more than 50 years of shows, they've made the difficult choice to retire. The main impetus behind the decision: the group says Tyler's voice, which they call "an instrument like no other," just doesn't sound the same anymore because of his vocal injury despite his months spent working with top doctors. We've told you all about Steven's voice troubles,. with sources telling us in September of last year, in the middle of the group's "Peace Out" farewell tour, that his vocal cords were "mangled."
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UNITED KINGDOM
Rod Stewart diagnosed with COVID, cancels 2 more Las Vegas shows after dropping performances due to strep throat
August 10, 2024
Rod Stewart is dropping more shows from his schedule. The “Maggie May” singer, 79, announced on Instagram that he has canceled two more North American shows on his schedule after catching COVID-19 — a few days after calling off his Aug. 7 concert in Las Vegas due to strep throat. A statement from his team shared on Friday, Aug. 9, read: “We regret to announce that tonight’s Rod Stewart’s concert in Stateline, NV and his August 10 concert in Lincoln, CA have been postponed as the singer recovers from a summer strain of COVID-19.”
Edinburgh Fringe Festival comedian's appendix burst while performing show
August 13, 2024
An Edinburgh Fringe Festival performer's appendix burst while he was in the middle of his show. John Tothill [27], who had been performing at the Pleasance Courtyard since July 31, has had to cancel three shows after becoming unwell. The comedian underwent several tests that puzzled doctors - and after the results were inconclusive, he went back on stage to perform a further five days of shows. It seemed he was slowly recovering and would recoup on the rest of his Fringe run - but it soon turned out John was actually becoming more unwell. On Monday, he discovered that his appendix had burst at some point in the previous week and his condition was beginning to deteriorate.
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PinkPantheress canceled all of her performances for the rest of the year ‘to focus on my physical health’
August 1, 2024
PinkPantheress [23] was flying high at the start of 2024. She teased new music , completed her Capable Of Love tour, and was booked as the opening artist on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour in addition to a slew of festival bookings including Jack Harlow’s Gazebo Festival, FORM Festival, III Points, and more. However, it seemed after all this, she’s hit a wall, and pushing through it has proved more difficult than expected. Today, she announced she’s canceling all future performances for 2024, including her tour and all those festival sets she had planned. “it is with the heaviest heart that i sadly have to announce that I will not be able to continue with the rest of my live shows this year in order to focus on my physical health and overall wellbeing,” she wrote on her Instagram Story.
ITALY
An illness puts Pooh on pause: concert postponed, fans worried
July 25, 2024
In the music world, an unwelcome surprise has shaken Pooh fans. The well-known Italian band, loved by generations of listeners, had to postpone their upcoming concert due to a sudden malaise. The news of the postponement struck like a bolt from heaven the fans of Pooh, who were waiting with impatience for the opportunity to see their idols live. Despite the concern, the band has assured that health is the priority and that the new concert date will be announced soon.
BOTSWANA
ATI recovering after weekend health scare
July 30, 2024
Celebrated motswako artist and rapper, Atlasaone Molemogi [32] - popularly known as ATI is recovering at his house following a weekend health scare which prevented him from performing over the weekend at a scheduled show in Maun. ATI was set to headline at Base Lounge on Friday night where he was to share the stage with DJ Hood, Skint and Distilled, but was unable to attend. Although allegations suggest he collapsed at his hotel room hours before his set, his Manager Benah Kobotwe, has clarified the situation. “ATI was catastrophically afflicted by an unforeseen medical exigency on the evening of July 26th, necessitating immediate and intensive medical intervention. This unforeseen health crisis compelled his confinement to the Hospital environment for a period of mandatory medical surveillance culminating on the 28th of July,” explained Kobotwe in a media statement. For a while now, ATI has been struggling with mobility issues, often requiring the help of his bodyguards to walk and at times having to sit down during his performances.
INDIA
Singer Arijit Singh apologises to fans, postpones UK tour due to medical emergency
August 2, 2024
Singer Arijit Singh [37] apologised to his fans after postponing his UK tour due to a medical emergency. Originally slated to commence on August 11, the concert has now been postponed to September. Though he did not mention what kind of medical emergency, Singh expressed his disappointment and thanked his fans for their unwavering support.
AUSTRALIA
Gretta Ray has cancelled her shows to recover from a rare heart disease
July 30, 2024
Australian singer Gretta Ray [26] has cancelled the rest of her tour dates for the year, revealing she has been diagnosed with a rare heart disease. Earlier this month, Ray told fans she had had spent five weeks in hospital, but opted to keep the details of her illness private. Yesterday, she revealed she had been diagnosed with infective endocarditis. "It happened very suddenly and frighteningly, and as a result, took a moment to be diagnosed," Ray said on social media. "Nonetheless I am so, so lucky that I caught it early." She said she had been out of hospital for two weeks, but had to cancel all the shows she'd planned for the rest of the year.
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I had strep throat about two years ago and they gave me a covid swab that tested positive. The doctor said, "Well, you have strep throat and Covid." He prescribed Paxlovid. I didn't take it. After that visit, I received statements in the mail from the insurance company about a brain injury. Huh? I took the antibiotics and my throat healed. But the idea that I had two infections, one bacterial and one viral, at the same time, seemed implausible. Sounds like the Rod Stewart story. The PCR test is unscientific, inaccurate, and frankly, hogwash. Rod Stewart doesn't have Covid. He's got a doctor who wants another Covid kickback, that's all, and he uses the PCR test to qualify for it. It's like the guy who's healthy, but he uses crutches when he's out in public to make sure no one challenges his disability benefits.
Is it my imagination or are the music industry artists being hit hardest? Or are they just in the media spotlight? It seems they are being effected more than most other industries. Very tragic. Music is so important.