Cream drummer Ginger Baker “critically ill” in hospital

The family of Cream drummer and co-founder Ginger Baker say that the musician is “critically ill” in hospital.

The news was posted across Baker’s social media channels, with the short statement reading: “Announcement. Ginger is critically ill in hospital. Please keep him in your prayers. Thank you everyone.”

No further details have been released by the family.

Baker has suffered ill health in recent years, with the drummer forced to cancel a number of live shows in February 2016 after a fall and being diagnosed with a serious heart condition which required surgery.

He later thanked doctors and was back playing again at the Jack Bruce charity fundraising concert in London in the October of that year.

In an interview with Classic Rock, Baker addressed his health issues, saying: “It’s very, very painful. I have a problem with my lower back, and it gets worse the more I play. It’s painful to drum.

“I have a terrible problem with my right knee, that it sometimes becomes difficult to play. I’ve got a big problem with my wrists. My doctor said it’s arthritis, and there ain’t nothing much you can do about it. It’s just pain.”

Baker formed Cream in 1966 with Bruce and Eric Clapton and went on to form Ginger Baker’s Air Force and play with a number of bands including Hawkwind and record more than a dozen albums, with his latest record Why? arriving in 2014.

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Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.