Inside Willie Nelson’s Health Crisis: Breathing Problems Caused Famed Singer To Cancel Concerts

Willie Nelson’s health is taking a turn for the worse. The iconic country singer had to cancel a few recent shows after experiencing some breathing complications. Here’s a look inside Nelson’s latest health crisis.

Nelson Walks Off Stage

According to Closer Weekly, Nelson was in the middle of singing his opening song, “Whiskey River,” during a concert in San Diego when he was forced to exit the stage. Fans say that Nelson started wheezing and coughing during the first song. Eventually, the 84-year-old couldn’t take it anymore and walked off stage.

Shortly after the incident, a rep of the singer said he has been dealing with a severe cold in recent weeks. Nelson is currently resting up at his ranch in Texas and canceled a couple of his upcoming concert, including shows in Las Vegas and Nevada.

Nelson’s next scheduled show is in early February in Georgia.

Inside Nelson’s Health Scare

Nelson’s latest breathing issues are just the latest development in his declining health. This past summer, Nelson was forced to go to the hospital after suffering from similar respiratory problems.

After the hospitalization, Nelson issued a statement to fans online, apologizing for having to end a concert early. Nelson blamed his illness on the altitude in Salt Lake City and said he felt better after going to lower ground.

Nelson also canceled a few concerts last year because he was dealing with severe colds. The cancellations sparked rumors that Nelson was on his deathbed, though his rep later denied the reports.

Fans Get Their Money Back

According to San Diego Union-Tribune, Nelson plans on reimbursing fans for his missed concert this week, as long as they purchased tickets through Ticketmaster. The online ticket seller issues a statement this week confirming that customers had already been refunded money for the canceled concert. It isn’t clear if Nelson will be healthy enough for his George show next month, though he should have plenty of time to recover.

Nelson Fires Back

Although Nelson continues to battle health problems, San Diego Union-Tribune reports that he recently wrote a song bashing the death rumors. In the track, titled “Still Not Dead,” Nelson assured fans that he is alive and well and that they can’t believe everything they read.

“Well, I woke up still not dead again today / The gardener did not find me that way / You can’t believe a word that people say / And I woke up still not dead again today,” Nelson sings. “Don’t bury me, I’ve got a show to play.”

Nelson Isn’t Slowing Down

Nelson may be fighting a health crisis, but that hasn’t slowed him down over the years. Since 2014, Nelson has released an astounding seven albums, outpacing the vast majority of musicians in the industry, many of whom are a fraction of Nelson’s age. He has also performed in a little over 80 concerts last year alone.

That doesn’t include the shows he was forced to cancel over health concerns. Willie Nelson may be on the verge of death, but he isn’t showing it.