Fans attending Ray LaMontagne’s performance at Nashville‘s Ryman Auditorium on Saturday, September 5 were shocked when the singer-songwriter collapsed in the midst of the concert.
The 53-year-old musician was rushed to a nearby hospital, with the concert abruptly ending.
An Onstage Collapse
In video captured by an audience member, subsequently shared via TikTok, LaMontagne is seen onstage at the famed Music City venue, strumming an acoustic guitar while performing his song “Jolene” (no relation to the Dolly Parton classic).
Suddenly, after hitting the high notes in the chorus, he steps back the the microphone mid-verse, still strumming his guitar until abruptly stopping.
At this point, he reaches for the mic stand, seemingly to steady himself, and then crumples to a heap. Crew members frantically rush onto the stage to attend to him.
Treated for Dehydration
Consequence subsequently reported that LaMontagne was rushed to a hospital, where he was treated for “heat-related dehydration,” according to a social media post that was subsequently deleted.
“Thank you to everyone who came out to tonight’s show at the Ryman,” read a post from LaMontagne’s Instagram Stories.
“Ray is in good hands with the local EMS and is being treated for heat related dehydration, he is doing well now and is grateful for everyone’s understanding,” the post continued.
“He is looking forward to being onstage in Louisville tomorrow night,” the post added.
True to that promise, LaMontagne appeared to have fully recovered when he took to the stage the following night — Sunday, September 6 — in Louisville, Kentucky.
“Ray’s performance at the Palace last night was absolute perfection,” wrote a fan who’d attended that show, in a Facebook comment. “You never would have known he wasn’t feeling well the night before. What a legend!!”
Unusually Hot
According to Consequence, at earlier points in the set, LaMontagne paused his performance, apologizing to the crowd before resuming.
At one point during his song “Hannah,” he seemingly lost his place.
Then, shortly after he left the stage. He reappeared after a few minutes, launching into “Jolene” but never making it to the endof the song.
After the show’s sudden end, several fans in attendance commented that the Ryman had been unusually hot on that particular night.
20th Anniversary Tour
As Consequence pointed out, that Nashville show was the second of two nights at the Ryman, part of LaMontagne’s currrent tour.
That tour marks the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough 2006 album “Trouble.” To mark the occasion, he’s performing the album in its entirety at each show. In addition, he’s also been performing fan-favorite tracks from his extensive catalog of material.
He’s being supported by The Weather Station as his opening act.
“It’ll be interesting to see how my spirit reacts to learning these songs again, to going back and listening to them again in that way, to bring it to people again,” LaMontagne said of returning to the album when interviewed by The Bluegrass Station.
“I’m looking forward to it. And I feel like it’s important to do to mark this moment, because these are the songs that brought people to my music in the first place,” he added.
“Listening to it again now after all these years, I’m very proud of my younger self, for having the strength of will amidst all the pressures of the music business at the time, and about my writing and the way I wrote, to make the record that I did, and to leave the songs the way I wrote them and not take any advice,” shared LaMontagne.
