Morrissey treated in hospital after collapse

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http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Musi...pse/index.html

London, England (CNN) -- British Singer Stephen Patrick Morrissey was hospitalized overnight after reportedly collapsing on stage during a concert, medical officials said Sunday.

Morrissey was discharged about 1 p.m. (9 a.m. ET) on Sunday, "much improved," said Great Western Hospital manager Teresa Harding.

"He was admitted ... as a precautionary measure," she said, refusing to reveal anything further about his condition or the reason he was hospitalized.

The 50-year-old recording artist, who seldom uses his full name Steven Patrick Morrissey, was scheduled to perform in Swindon, west of London, on Saturday night. According to fan accounts on various Web sites, the singer collapsed after the first song.

"Morrissey is in stable condition after his collapse in Swindon Saturday night," said a statement on his Web site. "Thanks go out to all his well wishers, more information will be posted as soon as it is available."

An ambulance was called to the concert venue just after 9 p.m. (4 p.m. ET), a spokeswoman for Great Western Ambulance told CNN.

"He was treated on the scene and then taken to hospital," she said, declining to say anything about the singer's medical complaint.

She said the ambulance service takes 60 to 70 percent of its patients to hospitals, rather than treat them at the scene. She asked to be identified only as a spokeswoman for the ambulance service, in line with British custom.

Morrissey was the frontman of the seminal 1980s band The Smiths, before embarking on a successful solo career. In a 2002 piece, British music magazine NME named The Smiths "the most influential artist ever" -- ahead of the Beatles.

The singer has canceled or rescheduled more than a dozen planned concerts this year, according to his Web site.