Leonard Cohen Collapses Onstage in Spain, Celebrates 75th Birthday

Leonard Cohen collapsed during a concert in Valencia, Spain, on Friday, September 18th after suffering from a case of food poisoning. After a brief hospital stay, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame poet-singer was released and is reportedly recovering well. Cohen is expected to perform tonight in Barcelona — at a show that also marks the Canadian singer's 75th birthday!

According to the AP, Cohen fainted during his performance of "Bird on the Wire," causing his band to stop playing suddenly to tend to him. The incident was initially blamed on a "stomach complaint," while Cohen's manager added that Cohen was reluctant to abandon the concert before being taken the Nueve de Octubre hospital in Valencia. A member of the band told the audience that Cohen was suffering from "stomach cramps and vomiting fits." Video of Cohen's collapse is below.

Cohen was released early the next morning. The organizers of his tour told the BBC that Cohen is well enough to perform at tonight's concert in Barcelona, and trucks carrying equipment for the show arrived as scheduled at the Palau Sant Jordi venue. Following his show in Barcelona, Cohen will head back to North America for a tour of the United States kicking off October 17th in Sunrise, Florida. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Cohen returned to the stage following a long hiatus after he discovered that his manager essentially wiped out his retirement fund.

Related Stories:
• Leonard Cohen Announces Second Leg of First U.S. Tour in 15 Years
• Leonard Cohen Returns To U.S. Stage After 15 Years With Beacon Theatre Concert
• After 15 Years, Leonard Cohen Proves He's Still Got It in Toronto

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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