Zwecker: Setbacks for singers
From Elton to Mariah, music stars hit with health woes
Placido Domingo, Randy Travis, Mariah Carey and Elton John have all experienced medical problems in the last day or two.
While reports of celebrity mishaps, injuries and health crises crop up all the time, there seemed to be an unusually large number of them affecting very famous folks over the past 24 hours or so. Intriguingly, all of these cases zapped music superstars.
Opera great Placido Domingo was felled by a blockage in an artery of the lungs — leading the tenor to be hospitalized Monday in Madrid. The Spanish singer’s publicist said the 72-year-old is expected to make a full recovery but will miss at least two appearances scheduled for later this month. His doctors report the pulmonary embolism was caused by a blood clot.
Domingo battled colon cancer in 2010 but returned to an active performance schedule afterward.
Randy Travis’ representative denied published reports the country crooner underwent heart surgery revealed the singer received a device to help blood flow, as he battles viral caridomyopathy — a serious disorder where a virus attacks the muscles of the heart, causing it to beat slower.
Mariah Carey was hospitalized after suffering a shoulder injury while filming a music video — a remix of her song “#Beautiful” with rapper Young Jeezy. A source close to Carey and her husband, Nick Cannon, reports Cannon was “extremely upset, as you can imagine,” as he was directing that music video.
The good news: Carey is expected to still perform Saturday with the New York Philharmonic on Central Park’s Great Lawn for the 2013 MLB All-Star Charity Concert to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Usually appendicitis hits younger folks, but 66-year-old Elton John has been laid low by it, requiring surgery that will force him to cancel all of his upcoming shows, including a big concert Friday at a London music festival. The iconic musician is expected to be back in action by September.
HIP-HOP HAPPENING: Chicagoans have a shot at a $20,000 grand prize in the Coors Light “Search for the Coldest” national hip-hop talent contest. Winners of online votes and artist showcases will perform at the semifinal event taking place at V Live, 2047 N. Milwaukee, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with headliner Big Sean. One artist will be selected by judges Ice Cube, Bun B and DJ Drama to move on to the finals in New York. Go to SearchForTheCold
est.com for ticket information.
MOVIE MOMENT: Jennifer Hudson’s fiancé David Otunga will host a special screening of “Bounce Back: The Ronnie Fields Story,” a documentary about the Chicago basketball legend from the mid’90s. Benefitting the By the Hand Club for Kids, the event takes place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Park Community Church, 1001 N. Crosby.
Fields will be on hand for the evening, which will include a performance of the film’s featured song, “Ronnie Feels,” by DeMarco Castle. Funds will also be contributed to Chicago Public School athetic programs.
“Bounce Back” focuses on Fields’ journey from being one of the top teen basketball prospects in the nation — whose dream of a NBA career were dashed by a near-fatal car crash — to how he has learned to get on with his life. Interviews in the film included Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Scoop Jackson and Mike Bibby.
Today, Fields is a motivational speaker who shares his story with youth groups in hopes of making a difference. Recently, he has joined the coaching staff of Fenwick High School, under head coach Rick Malnati.