Morrissey is no stranger to canceling shows, and he’s earned a reputation for pulling the plug for trivial or preventable reasons. For example, he ended last year’s US tour early because of poor money management, and in 2013, he bailed on a scheduled Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance because the Duck Dynasty guys were going to be there. Heck, he’s even tried to halt other bands’ gigs.
We have to give credit where it’s due, though, since a fair share of his cancellations have been health-related. He was hospitalized after collapsing on stage in 2009, and then there’s the time he was forced to cancel a slew of dates in 2014 due to a respiratory infection. At his show in Tucson, Arizona on Monday night, Morrissey’s body betrayed him again: He left the stage after six songs because he lost his voice.
The singer knew early on that his vocals were on the brink of failure, since Madchester reports that after one song, he addressed the crowd and said, “It seems I have left half my mouth in Guadalajara, but I will sing, and if I must, I will drop dead.” He certainly seems to have put in an effort, but after 30 minutes of performing, he couldn’t handle it anymore and walked off stage. As seen in the video above, a band member then explained the situation to the crowd:
“His voice is shot. You heard it, you heard it. He’s been trying, trying really hard. He came out, he tried. His voice is shot. We’re sorry, he’s sorry. You know he tried.”
Morrissey spokesperson Gustavo Manzur confirmed on Facebook that Moz really had nothing left that night, saying that “his voice has been reduced to a whisper.” However, as of yesterday morning, tonight’s show in San Antonio is still on, the Arizona Daily Star says. Fingers crossed that fans in Texas get their money’s worth tonight and Morrissey is able to put on a complete, successful show.
