Chuck Berry Collapses During Chicago Concert

By Brian Scott
Jan 2 2011

Chuck Berry, famed singer who gained worldwide popularity in the 1950’s and 1960’s, collapsed last night on stage in Chicago.

Berry, who just turned 84, started the concert just fine and but about fifteen minutes into the program he started acting strange. He was playing only fifteen seconds of a song before starting a new one and was also starting some of his songs in the middle rather than the beginning.

Berry eventually collapse on stage and was carried off to a waiting ambulance but he refused to leave for the hospital. He decided to return to the stage and was once again carried off and then checked out by the paramedics. He told the paramedics that he was fine and agreed to sign a release form stating that he did not wish to receive medical treatment.

Berry did finish the concert and managed to play most of his songs correctly before leaving the stage. His agent told the press that the incident was due only to exhaustion and that Berry was just fine and heading home on a flight out of Chicago this morning.

Berry played two concerts on New Year’s Eve in New York City before heading to Chicago.

Berry is one of the few major players from his era that has managed to survive and continue with his career. However, Berry has dealt with failing health in the past several years that has mostly kept him off the concert circuit and at home with his wife.