The English soul band the Christians were forced to halt their festival performance Sunday night in Liverpool when drummer Lionel Duke collapsed on stage from cardiac arrest.
The band confirmed in a subsequent Facebook post that Duke, 58, had been hospitalized, and asked fans to “please send positive vibes his way.”
“Thank you so much to all the many many messages regarding our drummer Lionel Duke who suffered a cardiac arrest while performing at tonights amazing concert ahead of Sting,” the Christians posted. “We are awaiting news from the Heart and Chest hospital at Broad Green and thank the phenomenal team of medics present from On The Waterfront Liverpool team who stepped in so swiftly to help our poor Lionel.”
Emma Roberts
The Christians drummer Lionel Duke
According to the BBC, the band’s manager, Emma Roberts, said Duke had been put in an induced coma after an operation.
The Christians were opening for Sting at the On the Waterfront festival when Duke collapsed after two songs. The band “sadly abandoned” the rest of their performance when the incident occurred. Lead singer Garry Christian called out for medical help, and Duke was ultimately taken away in an ambulance.
Roberts appeared on stage to give an update to the crowd, announcing that Duke “didn’t have a pulse” but “he’s got one now, we think,” after “four rounds of CPR,” according to the Liverpool Echo. “We’re really hoping he is going to make it.”
The band also thanked the medical team on site that treated Duke, and Sting, who voiced support for Duke during his own performance at the fest. “[Duke] was treated by the amazing OTWF team and medics [within] the audience onstage following @garry.christian plea for help,” the group wrote on Facebook. “Our thanks also to @theofficialsting for his concern and beautiful tribute to Lionel.”
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The Christians were formed in 1985 by three brothers — Garry Christian, Roger Christian, and Russell Christian — and fourth member Henry Priestman, who had no relation to the brothers but coincidentally had Christian for a middle name. Their self-titled debut album hit No. 2 on the charts in the U.K. in 1987, and the band’s lineup has evolved over the decades.
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