Thaindian News

VIENNA (BNO NEWS) — Singer George Michael is being treated for severe pneumonia at a hospital in Vienna and has been forced to cancel all of his upcoming concerts, his publicist said on late Friday afternoon.

Michael was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Vienna General Hospital on Monday after he fell ill in his suite at a hotel in the Austrian capital. There are conflicting reports about the severity of Michael’s condition, with the Vienna Times reporting earlier on Friday that his condition had worsened overnight.

“George Michael has severe community acquired pneumonia and is being treated as an inpatient,” Prof. Dr. Christoph Zielinski, Chairman of the hospital’s Department of Medicine, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Staudinger, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Medicine, said in a joint statement on Friday. “His condition has stabilized and he is responding to treatment.”

Michael’s publicist said any other speculation regarding his illness is ‘unfounded and untrue.’ “He is receiving excellent medical care; he is responding to treatment and slowly improving,” his publicist said. “To ensure his complete well-being, George Michael’s doctors have advised that he cannot perform the rest of his Symphonica tour and that he instead takes a full and complete rest.”

Michael had planned fourteen concerts across the United Kingdom between this weekend and December 19. After he fell ill on Monday, the singer also canceled his concerts in Vienna and Strasbourg in France.

Zielinski and Staudinger said the time needed for Michael to recover ‘cannot be estimated’ at this time. “He will not be able to perform the rest of the tour,” they said. “Besides medical treatment, complete rest and peace and quiet are mandatory.”

The publicist said discussions and preparations are under way to reschedule the UK concerts and asked ticket holders to retain their tickets. “George was very much looking forward to bringing his tour back home and performing for his loyal and dedicated UK fan base,” the publicist said.

The 48-year-old British musician is one of the world’s best-selling music artists and rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo ‘Wham!’ with his friend Andrew Ridgeley. He was also forced to cancel a concert in London in late October due to a viral infection.