Carlos Santana’s Concert Collapse Wasn’t His First Health Scare

The list of musicians who played Woodstock in 1969 and also had hit songs in the 1990s is a short one. It starts and ends with Carlos Santana. The guitarist behind “Black Magic Woman,” “Samba Pa Ti,” and “Smooth” is enshrined in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, but he’s not resting on his laurels. The soon-to-be 75-year-old star continues to tour, but his 2022 concert collapse wasn’t Santana’s first health issue.

Carlos Santana collapses during a 2022 concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Michigan

Santana began 2022 playing several shows in Las Vegas before starting a summer tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. The stop at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, took a scary turn about 20 minutes into Santana’s set.

“Rock Legend Carlos Santana was overtaken by heat exhaustion and dehydration,” a statement on his website reads. “The guitar great was taken from his show at Pine Knob Music Theatre … to the emergency department at McLaren Clarkston for observation and is doing well.”

Variety reports Santana sat down on the drum riser while playing, only to fall backward before being ushered off the stage. Yet he waved to fans as he was treated by medical personnel before being taken to the hospital. Santana canceled the concert’s July 6 stop in Burgettstown, Penn., to a later date.

The rock legend seems fine, but Santana’s concert collapse wasn’t his first health scare.

Santana had emergency heart surgery in December 2021

Santana and his band performed a mini-residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas starting in August 2021. After hitting the road in September and October, they returned to Mandalay Bay in November, but that concert run ended sooner than expected.

Santana needed emergency heart surgery in mid-November, and he received it just in time. 

As the guitar legend told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest late one night. Doctors at the hospital found one of his arteries had 94% blockage, and another was 35% blocked. 

Santana seemingly recovered quickly from his serious medical scare. He told the Review-Journal that his procedure sapped a lot of his energy, but he was back on stage by the end of January 2022.

Santana’s foundation assists underserved children with health and other needs

Santana survived two health scares with late 2021 heart surgery and 2022 concert collapse. Coincidentally, the International Latin Music Hall of Fame inductee’s foundation’s mission is to help under-resourced children around the world, including with health needs.

The Milagro Foundation, which Santana founded in 1998, provides grants to local “tax-exempt organizations that work with children in the areas of education, health, and the arts,” per the foundation’s website. Milagro is nearing $9 million in donations since its founding, per the website.

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