Globally renowned blues icon B.B. King is reportedly recovering in a Las Vegas hospital after being admitted at the weekend following "a diabetes-related emergency".
According to News Corp (via TMZ), the 89-year-old King Of Blues was taken to hospital for dehydration related to Type II diabetes, a condition with which the singer-songwriter was diagnosed about a decade ago. Reports cite an anonymous representative of King's, who apparently confirmed that as of Monday (US time) the singer remained in a "medical care facility near his home".
King's condition previously wrought havoc on his touring and performance plans last year, when he was forced to cancel a series of shows after falling ill at a gig at Chicago's House Of Blues, at which time he was diagnosed with dehydration and exhaustion. Earlier in the year, a rambling performance in St Louis, during which King stopped playing for 45 minutes, was also attributed as diabetes-related, as the performer claimed he had missed his prescribed medication that day.
King started his career in 1949, earning a reputation as a workhorse performer — Fairfax reports he was performing more than 200 times a year at peak health — going on to pick up a whopping 17 Grammy Awards over the ensuing decades and ascending to legendary heights in global blues history.
No further updates are available on King's condition at this time.
