Morrissey’s health scare, 2004.

[Tbevie]

I apologise if this has been mentioned before.

I was looking through some old Morrissey magazine articles/interviews and I came across an interview in Mojo magazine, 2004. The article mentioned that Morrissey had meningitis and was suffering from a sever 5-day migraine and had to have a few brain scans.

Here’s a paragraph from the article.

“It’s annoying because in 48 hours I’ll be standing on stage in Las Vegas, hopefully singing”, he says. “So I’m a bit nervous. [Meningitis] was only part of it. I had two brain scans in two days. And then, in the final analysis, last Tuesday, when they were about to take some spinal fluid, I just stood up and said, No more, this is silly. Absolutely silly. Because American medicine, they don’t know anything. They’ll saw your leg off to prevent you getting gangrene in the future. I’m not kidding. I ended up in hospital on a drip, which was hugely humiliating and embarrassing. And at one point I went for a brain scan and they left me in the room for 15 minutes with this really loud hip hop music playing. But I was strapped to the bed and I was on a drip so I couldn’t do anything about it. So here I am, with this intense migraine, listening to hip hop. It could only be America.”

I haven’t read or heard about this anywhere else. Does anyone have anymore information on this?

Obviously he’s fine now but I always thought meningitis was quite a series and deadly illness, which is quite worrying.

 

[Pokey]

It's great that he's fine now, but the idea of Morrissey strapped to the bed with a drip in with hip hop music blaring away just out of arms reach is absolutely awesome .. I mean the only way you could possibly piss him off more is if Joyce was reading to him at his bedside or something.

 

[Jones]

I think there are lots of different strains of meningitus. Some are more dangerous than others.

 

[Trouble loves me]

I remember reading this; it wasn't a serious illness (thank god) so I think he just mentioned it because the interviewer knew he'd been ill with something or didn't look well.

There are two types of meningitis; viral and bacterial. Viral is the one Moz had; it causes the same inflamation of the brain and spinal cord lining as the bacterial form, but, unlike the bacterial form (Meningitis C) isn't associated with septacemia (blood poisoning) which is the thing that causes the rash and the vomiting they tell you to look out for. Viral (Meningitis A, I think) can occasionally be dangerous (which is why they admit you to hospital) because if the immune system can't fight it off, your brain swells and you fall into a coma.
The bacterial one normally affects young children and teenagers, whereas the viral form can strike anyone.

I seem to remember that the photo shoot with this article was Moz on a sunbed by a hotel pool looking rather suave in his sunglasses.

 

[lilikoi]

when they were about to take some spinal fluid, I just stood up and said, No more, this is silly. Absolutely silly. Because American medicine, they don’t know anything. They’ll saw your leg off to prevent you getting gangrene in the future. I’m not kidding.

he was smart to get up and not let them do the spinal tap thing! i had this done to me once and it´s horrible. i definitely should have walked out and said no way.

 

[Tbevie]

I remember reading this; it wasn't a serious illness (thank god) so I think he just mentioned it because the interviewer knew he'd been ill with something or didn't look well.

There are two types of meningitis; viral and bacterial. Viral is the one Moz had; it causes the same inflamation of the brain and spinal cord lining as the bacterial form, but, unlike the bacterial form (Meningitis C) isn't associated with septacemia (blood poisoning) which is the thing that causes the rash and the vomiting they tell you to look out for. Viral (Meningitis A, I think) can occasionally be dangerous (which is why they admit you to hospital) because if the immune system can't fight it off, your brain swells and you fall into a coma.
The bacterial one normally affects young children and teenagers, whereas the viral form can strike anyone.

I seem to remember that the photo shoot with this article was Moz on a sunbed by a hotel pool looking rather suave in his sunglasses.

Thanks for clearing that up

yeah, thats the photo shoot.

 

[SouthpawGlamour]

I apologise if this has been mentioned before.

I was looking through some old Morrissey magazine articles/interviews and I came across an interview in Mojo magazine, 2004. The article mentioned that Morrissey had meningitis and was suffering from a sever 5-day migraine and had to have a few brain scans.

Here’s a paragraph from the article.

“It’s annoying because in 48 hours I’ll be standing on stage in Las Vegas, hopefully singing”, he says. “So I’m a bit nervous. [Meningitis] was only part of it. I had two brain scans in two days. And then, in the final analysis, last Tuesday, when they were about to take some spinal fluid, I just stood up and said, No more, this is silly. Absolutely silly. Because American medicine, they don’t know anything. They’ll saw your leg off to prevent you getting gangrene in the future. I’m not kidding. I ended up in hospital on a drip, which was hugely humiliating and embarrassing. And at one point I went for a brain scan and they left me in the room for 15 minutes with this really loud hip hop music playing. But I was strapped to the bed and I was on a drip so I couldn’t do anything about it. So here I am, with this intense migraine, listening to hip hop. It could only be America.”

I haven’t read or heard about this anywhere else. Does anyone have anymore information on this?

Obviously he’s fine now but I always thought meningitis was quite a series and deadly illness, which is quite worrying.

Moz also claimed that The Smiths were on 'the critical list' in an interview in 85, so he does tend to make things up.

 

[mozmic_dancer]

He was ill during the shoot of "Irish Blood, English Heart" and he douched off the Craig Kilborn taping due to illness so, his health problems seem to have began around the beginning of April 2004. It was as if it went away and came back. Maybe he wasn't taking his medicine consistantly.

What month was that Mojo, Bevie?

 

[Tbevie]

What month was that Mojo, Bevie?

It was the June issue.

But here's another snippet from the article which suggests it was around April when he fell ill.

“Three week later, Morrissey really is sick. On April 8, Mojo arrives in Los Angeles for part two of our interview, only to learn that Morrissey has been diagnosed with meningitis, and won't be seeing anyone, far less specking to them, until he's recovered.”

 

[mozmic_dancer]

I see. Well, then it was definitely April when the meningitis first reared its ugly head. What happened in May however, is less clear and seems to suggest some sort of relapse sometime after his birthday show, though it is possible he may just needed a well-deserved break.

 

[Bluebirds]

Meningitis? Isn't that the thing you get off toilet seats and is found predominantly in the gay community and Africa???

Hmm theres your answer then for the gay or straight thing!

 

[Amy]

Meningitis? Isn't that the thing you get off toilet seats and is found predominantly in the gay community and Africa??? QUOTE]


What?

 

[Suzanne]

And at one point I went for a brain scan and they left me in the room for 15 minutes with this really loud hip hop music playing. But I was strapped to the bed and I was on a drip so I couldn’t do anything about it. So here I am, with this intense migraine, listening to hip hop. It could only be America.”

now, i realize he was probably in a hospital in California, but who has been to any doctor's office where they blare hip hop? maybe he was hallucinating....

 

[Strange Fear]

I know Oscar Wilde also had meningitis, except his was cerebral. The thought of Morrissey being sick is horrible, but thank God he's better now.

 

[Hellie]

It's great that he's fine now, but the idea of Morrissey strapped to the bed with a drip in with hip hop music blaring away just out of arms reach is absolutely awesome .. I mean the only way you could possibly piss him off more is if Joyce was reading to him at his bedside or something.

Hehehe.Excellent post!! hope our man has led a good clean life otherwise if he passes throught the gates of hell-Joyce will be there and Elton will be providing the music and Bowie will come shuffling up behind with horns offering up a big Mac.

 

[Amy]

Bowie will come shuffling up behind with horns offering up a big Mac.

Bowie?? In Hell?? surely not ... his genius saves him from that particular fate I would hope the image of Bowie with horns is so silly, I keep giggling just thinking about it