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Music icon Willie Nelson has been rushed to the hospital with breathing issues, according to reports on Twitter. However, later in the evening, Nelson tweeted, “This is Willie I am sorry to have to cut the SLC show short tonight The altitude got to me I am feeling better now & headed for lower ground.”
This is Willie I am sorry to have to cut the SLC show short tonight The altitude got to me I am feeling better now & headed for lower ground
The news broke on Twitter on the evening of August 13, raising new concerns about the health of the legend.
“BREAKING: Country legend, @WillieNelson rushed to Salt Lake City hospital, due to “breathing issues,” before he could finish his first song,” wrote Zachary Jaydon, founder and CEO of PopWrapped.
Other Twitter users who said they were at the concert confirmed that Nelson left the stage but said he played more songs than one.
A woman named Christie Marcy replied to Jaydon on Twitter, “I was there. It was more than one song. He got through probably six, but that’s not as good of a tweet, I guess.”
Another reader, Dan B, wrote, “Your tweet is incorrect he played for about a half an hour before he left the stage I was there.”
Another reader, named Nichole, said that Nelson was struggling during the set. “God speed Willie, first of all. Second, I was there and he made it into the set about 6 songs clearly struggling the entire time,” she wrote on Twitter.
Kassidee Lee wrote on Facebook, “I think we may have been able to see Willie Nelson on his last tour☹️ He was rushed to Salt Lake City Hospital with breathing issues so the concert was cut short… he’s still a legend though and he did awesome through the songs he sang. Glad I was able to see him live!”
“In Salt Lake for Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson. Was a great concert until Willie got sick after 6 songs and the concert ended early…dang. Guess when you are 84, life is unpredictable,” wrote Cindy Carson on Facebook. She also posted these photos:
While many people offered prayers for Nelson, Twitter user Amanda Giron wrote that she wanted her money back. In the post, she wrote that Nelson “could barely sing” and then, in the middle of a song, they announced that “he got sick.” She wrote that she hoped he was “ok,” but still wanted her money back. Others chastised people on Twitter who were demanding their money back as Nelson suffered a health emergency.
According to Billboard, “The 84-year-old singer was performing his opening number when he left the stage Sunday night at the USANA Amphitheatre in Salt Lake City, UT. Nelson, who has battled with a string of health complaints in recent months and years, has reportedly been taken to a local hospital.”
Nelson’s health has been a concern for some time. In early August, he was the subject of a death hoax on Twitter.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Country Music Hall of Famer’s most recent album God’s Problem Child bowed atop Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart in May, his 17th No. 1 on the survey.”