Carlos Santana collapsed on stage during a performance at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, on July 5 as a result of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
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The 74-year-old guitarist is currently on his Miraculous Supernatural Tour, which runs through November 13, and was playing the outdoor amphitheater, just 40 miles outside of Detroit when he was “overtaken by heat exhaustion and dehydration,” according to a statement by his manager Michael Vrionis posted on Santana’s website and official social media pages. “Carlos was taken to the emergency department at McLaren Clarkston [Medical Center] for observation and is doing well.”
In videos recorded by fans at the show, the musician is seen sitting on a corner of the stage after he stopped playing guitar. Medical personnel quickly attended to Santana, while stage crew later held up a black tarp to block the view of the stage as the musician was tended to and removed from the stage.
The artist regained consciousness and could be seen waving his hand to fans above the tarp as he was walked off stage. He was then taken to the emergency department at the nearby McLaren Clarkston health care facility for observation.
Santana, who just finished performing on the annual CNN special The 4th in America on July 4, was scheduled to perform with Earth, Wind & Fire on July 8 at Star Lake (formerly the S&T Bank Music Park) in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, but the show has been postponed for a later date.
Following the incident, Santana also posted a short message on Facebook, thanking his fans for their “precious prayers.”
“To one and all, thank you for your precious prayers,” wrote Santana. “Cindy [wife Cindy Blackman Santana] and I we are good, just taking it easy. Forgot to eat and drink water, so I dehydrated and passed out. Blessings and miracles to you all.”
In February, Santana was forced to cancel a number of dates after members of his band contracted COVID-19, and in late 2021 the musician called off more dates of his Las Vegas residency to recover from heart surgery.
Earlier in the year, Santana released his 26th album Blessings and Miracles, featuring a collection of collaborations, including Chris Stapleton, Ally Brooke, Corey Glover, Kirk Hammett, Chick Corea, Gayle Moran Corea, and Steve Winwood, in addition to Rob Thomas who recorded the hit “Smooth” with Santana in 1999.
Photo: Roberto Finizio
