Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Hospitalized for ‘Severe Vertigo’

A beloved Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was recently hospitalized.

English guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had to postpone some of his concerts due to “severe vertigo.”

On Nov. 18, a statement was posted to Blackmore’s Instagram saying that all Blackmore’s Night shows are postponed due to medical reasons, which came after a few postponed dates. Nearly a week later, on Nov. 23, Blackmore himself returned to Instagram with an official statement, explaining that he has 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.”

He went on to say that while on the road, they were staying at a hotel that had a wedding party going all night, and there was no heat in the room, and the sheets were still damp, and he assumes it “culminated in me having a severe migraine attack.” Blackmore continued, “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. Ambulance was called. I was taken to hospital and they gave me CAT scans and other tests. They were very gracious.”

Blackmore shared that the doctors came to the conclusion that he had severe vertigo. “The results of this went on for days on end,” he revealed. “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 Im healthy. All the best, Ritchie, a guitarist.”

The band, Blackmore’s Night, had embarked on an Autumn Tour in the U.S. beginning Nov. 9. Shows were supposed to take place through the end of November, but most shows had to be postponed. As of now, it’s unknown if the shows will be rescheduled, as there hasn’t been any update, but all that matters is Blackmore getting better. Having to manage migraines and vertigo is already tough, but doing it out on the road while playing music is not the best cure, so it looks like he will be taking as much time off as needed.