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Eric Clapton seen in wheelchair after cancelling shows due to severe illness

Eric Clapton at the premiere of 'The Beatles: Eight Days a Week,' a documentary about the Fab Four in London on September 15, 2016. AP Photo

All does not appear to be well with legendary guitarist Eric Clapton.

The musician, 72, was spotted at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in a wheelchair, being escorted by airport staff and his daughter through the terminal.

READ MORE: Eric Clapton ‘struggling’ to play guitar due to nerve damage

Fans and newshounds posted photos of the ailing singer to Twitter on Friday morning.

https://twitter.com/RealFarrahGray/status/847795644211224576

https://twitter.com/Arletta0301/status/847805733580263424

https://twitter.com/AliCornelliac/status/847805664655233028

Last Friday, Clapton’s representatives announced on his official Twitter account that he was suffering from “severe bronchitis.” He cancelled two shows at Los Angeles venue The Forum, which were originally scheduled for last weekend, and gave new concert dates for eager concertgoers.

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Clapton, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and former Cream guitarist, has only performed two shows in 2017, both of them in New York City on March 19 and 20.

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In June 2016, Clapton said that he’s now “struggling” to play guitar because of damage to his nervous system.

Clapton was recently diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, a condition that occurs when nerves carrying messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body are damaged or diseased.

READ MORE: Game of Thrones Season 7 trailer: A long walk to the Iron Throne

“I’ve had quite a lot of pain over the last year,” said Clapton to the U.K.’s Classic Rock. “It started with lower back pain, and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy. [It feels like] electric shocks going down your leg. [It’s] hard work to play the guitar, and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it will not improve.”
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“By rights I should have kicked the bucket a long time ago,” he said. “I don’t know how I survived – the ’70s especially. For some reason, I was plucked from the jaws of hell and given another chance.”

The British rocker is happy to be among the living, saying “it’s a great thing to be alive at all.”

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