Ne-Yo Is One Sick Bawler—and Not in a Good Way

R&B star's U.K. gig ends early—and in tears—after singer fell ill midway through show

Someone might want to clarify for Ne-Yo that the phrase is baller, not bawler.

Still, when the tears come out of the frustration of disappointing fans (or, you know, rampant fever) and not, say, some Hollywood hissy fit, that's the sort of unbridled emotion we can get behind.

The under-the-weather R&B star was reduced to tears last night after he was forced to scrap his Manchester gig due to illness roughly an hour into the show.

"I've never not completed a show—I've never done this before," he told the crowd in between wiping away tears.

"I want to say...I want to thank y'all for bearing with me as long as y'all did, I appreciate that."

The feeling was not exactly mutual.

The "So Sick" singer—ah, irony—reportedly fell ill not long into the show, but became visibly weakened shortly after an energetic "Off the Wall" tribute to Michael Jackson.

At one point, the singer even left the stage for a roughly 10-minute period, but was so determined to carry on entertaining the restless crowd that he dispatched an unknown female singer to the stage.

"Trust me when I say I will be back," the emotional star told the cheering-turned-booing audience just before leaving the arena. "I will be back. I love y'all."

Ne-Yo is scheduled to perform a concert in Liverpool tonight. By all accounts, the gig will proceed as planned.

Year of the gentleman indeed.