Deep Purple rock legend Ritchie Blackmore had to cancel most of his recent tour after falling ill. Blackmore was hospitalized after becoming dizzy and not being able to stand up.
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Blackmore was set to perform in November with his current group Blackmore’s Night. But the group only performed two of six scheduled dates. At the time, his team revealed he suffered an unspecified medical issue.
However, now, the Deep Purple icon revealed more about the decision to cancel the shows. Blackmore revealed he was hospitalized. Taking to Instagram, his team shared a statement.
It read, “Very quick history, for those who have nothing better to do: I have a long history of lumbar and neck herniated discs. Consequently, I would have back injections before a tour to help me over the pain. Recently, I have acquired debilitating migraines. They come and go very quickly. When I see the visual disturbance of these ocular migraines, I know they are coming.”
Deep Purple Icon Hospitalized
The Deep Purple icon was at a hotel when he became very ill and couldn’t stand up. He had to call an ambulance to come assist him.
Blackmore explained, “When we did the long drive from Pennsylvania to Newton, NJ we were booked into a hotel that had a wedding party going all night in the corridors. There was no heat in the room, and the sheets were still damp. Which I assume culminated in me having a severe migraine attack. I couldn’t stop vomiting. The room wouldn’t stop spinning, and I was extremely dizzy to the point of not being able to stand.”
He continued, “Ambulance was called. I was taken to the hospital, and they gave me CAT scans and other tests. They were very gracious. The doctors came to the conclusion that my official diagnosis was severe vertigo. The results of this went on for days on end. I am now following up how serious these migraines are with various doctors. When one tours, you have a lot of people who have to be healthy. Unfortunately, I was the one who got hit this time. Hope to see you all one day again when I’m healthy.”