Christopher Victorio/WireImage for Kaaboo Del Mar via imageSPACEAerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is recovering at a New York City hospital after experiencing shortness of breath Saturday night following his performance with Billy Joel at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
A statement from Perry’s publicist to ABC News on Sunday afternoon declares the 68-year-old musician “experienced shortness of breath and was treated backstage by paramedics who gave the guitarist oxygen and used a tracheal tube to clear his airway before taking him to a hospital.” The statement further says Perry “remains in the hospital where he is alert and responsive.”
Perry will have to skip Sunday’s scheduled Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp appearance with Jason Bonham in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, because of the episode, his rep said. The rep adds that Perry’s “expected to return to the road later this month.”
According to TMZ, paramedics worked on 68-year-old Perry for 40 minutes Saturday night before taking him to the hospital. The website quotes unspecified witnesses as saying paramedics appeared to be working to clear Perry’s airway before he was placed on a stretcher and taken away.
Perry had just finished performing the Aerosmith hit “Walk This Way” with Joel before his backstage collapse. Joel was apparently unaware of what was transpiring as he continued performing. Concertgoers tell ABC News Radio that Perry showed no noticeable signs of distress during his performance.
Perry previously collapsed onstage on July 10, 2016, during a Brooklyn, New York, show with his side band, the Hollywood Vampires. It was believed then that he suffered cardiac arrest, from which he apparently made a full recovery.
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