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Glenn Hughes announces retirement from live performances: “I really have no option and no choice”
Glenn Hughes, the former Deep Purple singer and bassist, has announced his retirement from live performances on doctors' orders after health tests revealed he needs another open-heart surgery. The 74-year-old musician, who previously had surgery in 2013 to repair an enlarged aorta, said he had "no option and no choice" but to prioritise his health, bringing an end to decades of touring and stage performances.
The announcement follows a series of tests, including multiple MRIs, CT scans and an echocardiogram, which alerted his medical team to the need for further intervention. It comes only days after Hughes performed with the all-star covers band Kings Of Chaos in California, and echoes concerns first raised in 2014, when he revealed he had been diagnosed with a heart murmur as a child and felt fortunate not to have suffered heart problems earlier given his well-documented past struggles with drugs and alcohol.
In short
- Glenn Hughes retires from live shows on medical advice
- Needs further open-heart surgery after recent health tests
- Comes days after his last performance with Kings Of Chaos
Explained simply
Glenn Hughes is an English singer and bassist whose career spans several decades. He is best known to many rock fans for his time with Deep Purple, the British band whose line-up changed over the years, and has also performed with other groups and as a solo artist.
Open-heart surgery is an operation on the heart that can be needed to treat serious problems with its structure or blood supply. Hughes had surgery in 2013 to repair an enlarged aorta, the main artery carrying blood from the heart; the need for further surgery means his doctors have advised him to stop performing live.
Live performance has been a major part of Hughes’s career, involving regular concerts and tours. His decision highlights how a serious health condition can bring a long-running stage career to a close, even for a musician who was performing recently.