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12/23/2024 02:06:59 am

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B.B. King Cancels Tour Dates After Falling Ill During Chicago Show

Blues icon B.B. King was forced to cancel the remaining eight shows of his current tour after falling ill during a performance at the House of Blues in Chicago on Friday, says a Billboard report.

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According to his website, the influential 89-year-old singer and guitarist was "immediately evaluated by a doctor" and was found to be suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. The tour was to end with a two-night performance next week at his B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in New York, says NBC Chicago.

Other scheduled performances were to be in Pittsburgh, P.A., Charleston, W.V., and Fort Wayne, Ind. The website has not posted an update on the artist's condition.

Fellow artists have expressed concern for King, including his tour opener, Hamish Anderson, USA Today reports.

"Very sad to hear the news of B.B. King's sickness and subsequent cancellation of the tour. The band and I wish him a safe, speedy recovery," Anderson wrote on Twitter.

Guitarist Melvin Taylor, meanwhile, tweeted: "For my friend B.B. King. Take care of yourself and feel better - God bless. "

In April, King's camp sent a public apology for an erratic performance at the Peabody Opera House where the musician was said to have been rambling on stage with stories and asked the audience to sing along to "You Are My Sunshine" for 15 minutes, according to a Billboard report.

In a statement, a spokesperson said King had not played in four weeks and had spent 24 hours on the road to get to the venue.

"The combination of the rigors of the very long drive and high blood sugar due to his medication error resulted in a performance that did not match Mr. King's usual standard of excellence," the representative said.  "Simply put, it was a bad night for one of America's living blues legends - and Mr. King apologizes and humbly asks for the understanding of his fans.

King, whose given name is Riley B. King, has recorded upwards of 50 albums. He has continued to tour over the years and has prominently appeared in every installment of Eric Clapton's "Crossroads Guitar Festival" in the past decade.

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