Donald Glover recently discussed a significant health scare he faced last year, which led to the cancellation of his international tour.
The 42-year-old artist, known by his stage name Childish Gambino, had to disappoint fans around the globe, from Ireland to New Zealand, when he revealed that he could not proceed with ‘The New World Tour.’ This was due to ‘an ailment’ that required surgical intervention and a period for recovery.
During his triumphant performance at Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, Glover shared with the audience that medical professionals ‘found a hole in my heart’ after the creator of Atlanta was hospitalized following a show in New Orleans on September 7, 2024.
Glover experienced intense symptoms which he later learned were indicative of a stroke.
“I had a really bad pain in my head, and I did the show anyway. I couldn’t really see well,” he recounted to the crowd on Saturday night, as well as to thousands who were watching online.
Amidst melodic guitar music, he shared with the packed Dodger Stadium audience how the alarming diagnosis impacted him.
“I went to the hospital, and the doctor was like ‘you had a stroke’,” he said, humorously adding that his initial thought was, “Oh, here I am still copying Jamie Foxx,” referencing the actor’s similar experience.
He continued: “That was only the second thing, the first thing was that I’m letting everyone down.”
Glover, who has won a Grammy, described undergoing two surgeries after the heart anomaly was discovered. The ordeal brought to mind the adage, ‘everybody has two lives, and the second life starts when you realize you have one‘.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Glover told the Camp Flog Gnaw audience: “You should be living your life how you want. If we have to do this again, it can only get better.”
Viewers at home took to social media to commend Glover’s ‘where have I been monologue’, with many expressing that his ‘incredible’ speech moved them emotionally.
In light of the cancelled tour, Glover even allowed fans to have input on some of his set list, which was well-received.
One fan commented: “Childish Gambino really still got it man. One of the best and most underrated performers of the generation.”
However, the performance reignited concerns that Glover might abandon his Gambino persona, as he had previously hinted before ‘The New World Tour’ that he was contemplating retiring the moniker.
He shared with the New York Times: “It really was just like, oh, it’s done. It’s not fulfilling. And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.”