Morrissey has revealed he nearly died earlier this year in an interview with Chilean newspaper La Tercera.
The singer was forced to cancel a host of live dates in January 2013 due to ill health. At the time he was suffering from a bleeding ulcer, double pneumonia and a throat condition called Barrett’s oesophagus.
In the interview, Morrissey explains: “It was terrible. I had played in January in Ohio, and I was perfect, but the next night at the hotel I collapsed. I lost consciousness and when I recovered, I was covered in black blood and did not know what it was.”
He continued: “I spent over four weeks on a drip, but I refused a blood transfusion. I managed to do some more shows in the US, but when I arrived in Mexico the doctors told me to stop. Not being able to finish the tour was devastating, but doctors warned me: ‘A few weeks ago you almost died, and now you say you’ll do 18 shows more? Are you trying to kill yourself?’ In fact, I think that was what I was doing.”
The former Smiths frontman then went on to say dying doesn’t worry him and it would be “better” for him to die on stage than “on a sofa covered with breadcrumbs.”
The release of a new live DVD was recently confirmed, following Morrissey’s performance at a concert held in a Hollywood high school.