Sir Rod Stewart has reassured worried fans after he was seen using an oxygen tank during a concert in West Valley City, Utah, on Friday. The 81-year-old singer told the Daily Record: 'I'm absolutely fine!'
What Happened at the Concert
Clips of the Maggie May singer went viral over the weekend after he paused his performance of Young Turks to receive oxygen. Staff rushed onto the stage, and Stewart told the audience he 'nearly fainted' before asking if they minded him sitting down for the next song. He continued the concert from a chair, stating 'the show must go on!'
High Altitude Blamed
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Record, Stewart explained: 'I'm 100% fine now. We were performing at high altitude - 1500m above sea level - and nobody bothered to tell me before the show!' He noted that athletes like the Scotland football squad acclimatise before playing at altitude. Stewart, who maintains a daily workout routine in his Essex home gym, said: 'Anyone who runs to keep in shape will know you have to acclimatise to high altitude.'
He added: 'A few minutes before starting the gig, I asked my assistant if we were at altitude and he said "no". So I ran on stage, launched into my set and started my silly dancing. And that's when it hit me... bosh!!! It felt as though my lungs had collapsed.'
Recent Illness Worsened Condition
The previous week, Stewart had cancelled a show in California on doctor's orders after being diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection causing laryngitis. 'That definitely made it even worse,' he said. 'There are certain preparations I always make for concerts at high altitude, but due to recent ill health I simply never had the chance.'
During the outdoor gig in painfully hot conditions, Stewart felt exhausted after an hour. 'That's when the oxygen came out,' he said. Despite the difficulty, he insisted on finishing the show: 'I'm an old trooper. There's no way I was leaving that stage and disappointing thousands of fans who'd paid good money to see me. It was thanks to the brilliant support of those people in Utah that I was able to finish the show.'
Looking Ahead to Scotland vs Brazil
The lifelong Scotland fan said he is now recovering and looking forward to watching Scotland play Brazil on Wednesday. He joked: 'If this game is even HALF as good as the Tartan Army have been in the USA - they're the greatest, most patriotic fans in the world and they've done Scotland proud - I think we'll beat Brazil 6-5!'
Stewart concluded with a lighthearted remark: 'Now if you'll excuse me, I think I need some more of that oxygen...'
