Muni Long has been candid about her lupus journey, but the singer recently revealed how a serious health crisis had almost cost her her life.
On Tuesday, the “Made For Me” singer, born Priscilla Renae Hamilton, revealed during an interview on “Good Morning America” that she underwent a double lung transplant after doctors gave her one week to live. The procedure came after she was hospitalized following her departure from Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” tour last year.
“The road is tough even when you are healthy,” Long, 37, told “GMA” co-host Robin Roberts. “I should have never taken that tour, but there was so much going on in my life where I had to do it.”
The Grammy-winning artist was diagnosed with lupus in 2014. She said living with the autoimmune disease comes with its own challenges, including navigating cold weather, a common trigger for lupus flare-ups.
Muni said she became “really sick” and developed pneumonia during the tour’s Northeast stops. Although stepping away was the best decision for her health, she tried to push through despite her body’s warning signs.
“I went back and I think, maybe five or six dates in, it was just like… I couldn’t even get out of the bed to make my call time for a stage,” she recalled. “And the last show, I just barely made it. I was only able to do two songs.”
Muni’s family and team had recommended taking some time away from the tour to rest and recuperate. “I came home for Thanksgiving, and I woke up in the hospital,” she added.
“I knew for a really long time that something was wrong. Every day I’m, like, spitting in cups and coughing all the time. Trying to take all these medicines to get through the day. With this industry, you’re always in people’s faces. So, I’m taking pictures, and I’m just huffing and puffing like I just ran a marathon,” Long said.
The Florida native said she “felt so much better” after waking up in the hospital. Shortly after, she received a life-threatening prognosis from a team of doctors, who revealed to her that she only had one week to live.
“My jaw dropped. Literally. I was like, ‘That’s rude,’” she recalled. “But they were kind of like, ‘This is not a joke. You need to make a choice. You can either go to hospice, or you can get these lungs.’”
Long said she was hesitant to undergo the procedure, but her son was the main reason why she decided to move forward with it.
“The ego and the vanity was just like, ‘But what about my voice? What’s going to happen?’ But I look at my son, and I think about how much more life that I have to live. Quality of life was first. I can’t sing if I’m not here,” she said.
It has been six months since the “Hrs & Hrs” singer underwent the surgery, and according to her, she’s doing “fabulous.”
“Tomorrow is my last appointment for all the things,” Long said. “I’m going down to Gainesville to do that. No symptoms. Asymptomatic. No infections. None of that. Then I have my vocal checkup, six months will be in August because I had to have vocal surgery, as well.”
Long has a new single called “The Riches,” which she recorded before having the procedure. “My voice now is totally different. It’s actually better, should I say? But I don’t know that I can perform yet. They gave me six months to a year,” she said.
TheGrio reported that the singer announced in a social media post in November 2025 that she would no longer be the opening act for the “Boy Is Mine” tour, citing health issues.
Muni Long is out of Monica and Brandy’s “The Boy is Mine” tour. The “Made For Me” singer announced on social media yesterday that she would no longer be performing as an opener because of her health.
“As many of you know, I’ve been battling some health issues throughout The Boy Is Mine Tour,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Despite doing everything I can to push through, my doctors have made it clear that it’s not safe for me to continue with the remaining dates of the tour.”
