PARIS – Singer Al Jarreau was in intensive care in a French hospital Friday after running into breathing problems in the Alps that forced him to cancel at least four concerts.
The 70-year-old fell ill before a concert Thursday at a jazz festival in the French mountain town of Barcelonnette and was brought to an intensive care unit in the city of Gap, the hospital said Friday.
Jarreau’s British agent said he “became weak from the altitude” in Barcelonnette, which is in the southern Alps.
“Upon medical advice, (he) was advised not to perform to allow him time to recover,” Marshall Arts Ltd. said in a statement, adding that Jarreau hopes to resume his tour next Thursday.
The Grammy Award winner was conscious and breathing without assistance Friday but was still in intensive care receiving treatment for respiratory problems, said Maurice Marchetti, deputy director of the hospital.
Marchetti said doctors weren’t certain what went wrong, but they believe fatigue as well as the altitude may have played a role in Jarreau’s health problems.
Doctors initially felt his condition was worrisome but “it seems for the past few hours there are signs his health is stabilizing, which would be an encouraging sign,” Marchetti said.
Jarreau, who started out in jazz before crossing over into pop and R&B, fell ill during a fast-paced European tour. In addition to the missed show in France, he canceled two shows in Germany and another in Azerbaijan, his agent said. He hopes to be able to perform again Thursday in Nuremberg, Germany.
