Patti Smith was admitted to a hospital in Bologna on Tuesday (December 12) – her performance at the Teatro Duse had to be canceled. In a press release, the theater stated: “It is with great regret that we inform the audience that Patti Smith’s concert has been canceled due to a “It cannot take place due to the artist’s sudden illness.”
Patti Smith: Observation in the emergency room
The next day, according to the Los Angeles Times, Bologna’s local health authority issued a statement saying that Patti Smith had been released from the hospital “after a brief period of observation in the emergency room” and was “in good health “. The medical team also explained that the artist could return to the stage after an “appropriate rest period”. Exactly what health conditions led to the hospitalization were not disclosed.
Patti Smith has not yet commented on the circumstances. On the day of her release, however, she commemorated the musician Tom Verlaine, who died in January 2023 and would have been 74 on December 13th, on Instagram.
Patti Smith stopped in Bologna as part of her eight-day “A Tour Of Italian Days” tour of Italy. The live dates accompany the publication of her book “A Book Of Days”, which was published in November 2022. It contains more than 365 photos and documents Smith’s life over the course of a year – both personal and professional.
Their last Italian appearance for the time being took place on December 11th in Siena Cathedral. Due to her health condition, Patti Smith also has to cancel her concert in Venice scheduled for today (December 14th) and a book signing in Milan planned for the following day. It is currently unclear whether these appearances will be rescheduled.
But the year is not yet over for the artist. If her health permits, she will perform in Chicago and end the year with two shos in New York City. The show on December 30th even falls on her birthday – so we can only hope that she can fulfill her birthday wish of being able to perform in front of a live audience.