Horror moment Grammy Award-winning guitarist Al Di Meola, 69, clasps his chest as he suffers a heart attack while performing in Romania
- Guitarist Al Di Meola has cancelled his remaining tour dates for this year after suffering a heart attack on stage
- The 69-year-old had been playing in Bucharest, Romania, on Wednesday when he was pictured clutching his chest before struggling to walk off the stage
- The other two members of Di Meola’s trio continued to play for several minutes following his departure, until they announced the show had to be cut short
Pictures have captured the horrific moment Grammy Award-winning guitarist Al Di Meola clasps his chest as he suffers a heart attack onstage.
Di Meola, 69, had been playing a concert at Arenele Romane venue in Bucharest, Romania, on Wednesday night when he had a heart attack.
Images captured at the concert show Di Meola clasping his chest during the performance, and is said to have struggled to walk off stage.
The other two members of Di Meola’s tio continued to play for several minutes following his departure, until they announced the show had to be cut short.
In footage captured at the concert, one of his bandmates can be heard telling the crowd: ‘Thank you so much for coming out, Al Di Meola says hello to everybody.’
Di Meola clutches his chest shortly before struggling to walk off the stage at the Arenele Romane
In a statement, the Bagdasar-Arseni emergency hospital said Di Meola was admitted to a cardiology ward where he was being treated for a segment elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI.
A STEMI mainly affects the heart’s lower chambers and ‘tends to be more severe and dangerous compared to other types of heart attack.’
Di Meola is now in a stable condition following the incident on Wednesday night.
In a statement, Di Meola said: ‘I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love and support that I’ve received during the last 24 hours.
‘Unfortunately, I’m facing a medical situation that requires some time off from performing and touring.
‘I want to assure you that I’m receiving the best care possible, and I’m fully committed to making a complete recovery.
‘I’m planning to return in 2024, and I’m already looking forward to making music together once again.
‘Your unwavering support means the world to me, and it’s a driving force in my journey towards recovery.’
Di Meola had been performing in the city as part of his ‘The Electric Years’ tour, with stops planned in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The guitarist has now cancelled concerts for the rest of the year while he recovers, he is pictured here in Marseille, France, in July 2014
Di Meola raises his hand at the Arenele Romane concert venue during his performance in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday evening
His team also announced that he would be rescheduling all dates that have been cancelled for next year.
They have asked fans to hold on to the tickets they had purchased, as they will remain valid for the rescheduled shows.
Di Meola’s decades-long career has earned him widespread critical acclaim and awards including a Grammy.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, into an Italian family, he previously told Guitar World that he was inspired to pick up the guitar after watching Elvis Presley play.
While attending the Berklee School of Music he also told the site that he would practice for eight hours a day.
He said: ‘It wasn’t easy. I would wake up at seven and practice as much as possible between classes, then play all night.
‘I was a little obsessed. I would practice specific tunes, improvisation on the changes, inversions, the whole gamut.
One of Di Meola’s most popular tracks is ‘Mediterranean Sundance’, which was part of his 1977 album ‘Elegant Gypsy.’
According to his official website, he has sold more than 6 million records worldwide.
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