Rod Stewart says he 'nearly fainted' as he halts Utah concert to use oxygen tank on stage
Rod Stewart, 81, claimed he 'nearly f***ing fainted' on stage after pausing his concert in Utah to use an oxygen tank, leaving fans concerned.
The rock legend was performing at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City when fans attending the gig noticed he wasn't moving around the stage quite as much as usual.
A video obtained by TMZ showed Stewart leaning on instruments and stage barriers for support, as attendants rushed towards him with an oxygen tank.
He took several deep breaths before addressing the crowd to explain the situation.
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"The show must go on," he shouted, "I nearly f***ing fainted there. Would you mind if I sit down for this one?"
West Valley City sits roughly 4,300 feet above sea level, and it's thought that perhaps altitude may have played a factor in the singer’s health scare.
But just one week prior, he canceled gig in San Diego less than an hour before showtime.
The singer later revealed he had been diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection that caused laryngitis.
Months before, he canceled two shows in Las Vegas, as he wrote: "My apologies to my family of fans. I am on vocal rest as I recover from a sinus infection.
"I look forward to seeing you at a future show at Caesars Palace or on tour this summer."
But despite the canceled gigs and health scares, the 81-year-old has no plans to slow down just yet, it seems.
Writing on Instagram, he said: "This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire. I love what I do, and I do what I love.
"I’m fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 meters in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79."
Speaking to AARP last year, Stewart outlined the extent of his fitness routines, which he claimed has helped him stay on the road for so many years.
"We do a lot of underwater training, where the trainer throws a brick into the pool and I have to dive in, push the brick to the end of the pool, and come up.
"I also played soccer all my life - don’t so much anymore, because I had a knee replacement. And I’ve always had a trainer - same guy for 38 years."
Mia Williams