Carlos Santana collapses onstage

Cralos Santana onstage
Carlos Santana onstage in Clarkson last night (Image credit: Scott Legato/Getty Images)

Guitar legend Carlos Santana had to be carried offstage last night after collapsing during a performance at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkson, Michigan. Medical workers attended to the guitarist and carried him offstage.

Santana’s manager Michael Vrionis later told Rolling Stone that Santana had been taken to a local emergency room for evaluation, and was “doing well.”

Santana, who is currently touring The US on the Miraculous Supernatural 2022 Tour, later posted a social message on social media blaming heat exhaustion and dehydration, saying, "Thank you for your precious prayers. Cindy [wife and drummer 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." 

Phil Lewis, an editor at Huffington Post, posted a video on Twitter which showed Santana being taken offstage, hidden behind a tarpaulin but comfortable enough to wave for fans as he departed.  

"Was there tonight," responded one tweeter. "About six rows from the stage. It looked like he shook a bit too, like a convulsion, before he went unconscious. To me, it looked pretty serious. We left; I couldn’t watch someone have a ‘medical emergency’ onstage. Hope he's OK."

The 74-year-old Santana underwent surgery in December last year, posting on social media that he'd had an "unscheduled heart procedure", leading to the cancellation of a run of shows at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. 

Santana has played 40 shows in 2022, but the next, scheduled for this evening (July 6) at the Pavilion at Star Lake, Burgettstown, PA, has been postponed. 

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.