Beyonce Cancels Concert Due to Voice Problem

Image by Nat Ch Villa on Wikipedia On Sept 6, 2016,  Beyonce  announced that she is postponing her concert scheduled for 9/7/16 in New Jersey until 10/7/16 due to "strict doctor's orders for  vocal rest ." Details are sparse in media reports, but given the voice rest order is for only a few weeks, I suspect it's due to laryngitis of some kind, whether bacterial or viral. If  nodules ,  polyps ,  cyst , etc. were present, voice rest would have been for several months (r…

9/07/2016 0

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Arena Stage 'My Fair Lady' Laid Low by the Flu with Performance Cancellations

It has been an early and bad start to the flu season in the DC metro area. It is just the beginning of the traditional 3 month flu season and flu numbers have already exceeded last year's . Although professional singers may feel they should have a special exemption from this debilitating illness which also adversely affects the voice, it is not to be... The flu has literally crippled performances of "My Fair Lady" at the Arena Stage this season with two show cancellations a…

1/07/2013 1

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Dr. Chang Quoted in Voice Council Magazine

Dr. Christopher Chang was quoted in a Nov 4, 2012 article published in Voice Council Magazine. The Voice Council Magazine is based out of United Kingdom and focuses on "practical insight for the emerging vocalist." The article  by Megan Gloss was focused on why Celine Dion cancelled her concert 2/22/12 in Las Vegas (a viral laryngitis ), a subject I already blogged about here . Read the published Voice Council article here . Source: Celine Dion's Viral Voice . Voice …

11/04/2012 0

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Singer Nicki Minaj with Strained Vocal Cords

Media has reported that pop star Nicki Minaj had to cancel upcoming concerts in England due to injured vocal cords. She apparently saw a doctor who diagnosed "strained vocal cords" after an x-ray and recommended voice rest for a few days. The singer apparently ignored this advice and sang in New York City on Aug 18 causing her voice to substantially worsen resulting in her decision to cancel her concerts this weekend. Details of her vocal cord condition are sparse. However, …

8/19/2012 0

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TV Show SMASH Portrays Ivy With Vocal Issues

In last night's episode (Episode 106: Chemistry) of the new hit TV drama SMASH , the main character Ivy who plays Marilyn Monroe in the show developed laryngitis that affected her ability to sing clearly, especially in the high registers. However, her speaking voice did sound normal. To treat this condition, she was given prednisone which did help her voice, but suffered unfortunate side effects of mood lability, hallucinations, insomnia, etc. Did the show accurately portray what act…

3/13/2012 0

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Celine Dion Cancels Shows Due to Laryngitis

In late Feb 2012, Celine Dion who was to have performed in Las Vegas Feb 22, 2012, cancelled her show at the last minute at the Caesar's Palace due to laryngitis on the advice of her doctors. According to media reports , her doctors instructed her to rest for 7 days to ensure full recovery due to vocal cord inflammation caused by a virus. What does that mean exactly? When a virus infects the mucosa of the upper airway, it causes inflammation of the mucosa lining including the vocal …

3/04/2012 0

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