ATLANTA, GA — Two-time Grammy-winning R&B superstar Muni Long—known to her fans for massive chart-topping hits like “Hrs & Hrs” and “Made For Me”—is opening up about a terrifying, quiet battle for her life. The singer-songwriter, whose legal name is Priscilla Hamilton, recently sat down to share the harrowing details of a sudden medical emergency that culminated in an emergency double lung transplant.
Long, who publicly disclosed her diagnosis with the chronic autoimmune disease lupus in 2014, revealed that her health took a drastic, life-threatening turn while on tour with R&B icons Brandy and Monica.
Watch: Muni Long Says Doctors Told Her She Had ‘one week to live’
The Crisis on the Road
Despite knowing the physical toll an intense touring schedule takes on the body, Long admitted she felt immense pressure to push through.
“The road is tough even when you are healthy, and I should have never taken that tour,” Long confessed. “But there was so much going on in my life where I had to do it.”
While performing in the freezing temperatures of the Northeast, Long’s autoimmune system compromised her respiratory health, causing her to contract severe pneumonia. After attempting to return to the stage after only a brief rest, her body completely shut down. During her final tour stop, she could only muster the strength to perform two songs before her family and management intervened, sending her home to rest for the Thanksgiving holiday.
She woke up days later in a hospital bed.
A Devastating Diagnosis: “One Week to Live”
For months leading up to the hospitalization, Long knew her lungs were failing, noting that she was constantly coughing, relying on heavy medication, and left entirely breathless by simple tasks like red-carpet photo ops.
Once stabilized at the hospital, she was met by a massive team of six specialists—including pulmonologists, a rheumatologist, and an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) specialist. Their collective assessment was stark: she needed an immediate double lung transplant.
“I’m like, ‘Well, how long do I have to live?’ And they go, ‘A week.’ One week to live,” Long recalled. “My jaw dropped… They were wanting me to know, ‘Hey, this is not a joke. You need to make a choice. You can either go to hospice, or you can get these lungs.’”
As a professional vocalist who has penned hits for icons like Rihanna and Ariana Grande, the thought of an intense thoracic surgery brought immediate panic regarding her career and identity. Ultimately, looking at her young son shifted her perspective from vanity to basic survival. “I can’t sing if I’m not here,” she noted.
The Prognosis and New Music
Six months post-operation, Long is celebrating a miraculous recovery. She reports being entirely asymptomatic, free of infections, and entering her final clearance appointments.
While she also underwent essential vocal surgery following the transplant, her recovery is a gradual process. Long has released a new single titled “The Richest,” a track recorded in February 2025 prior to her medical emergency. Because her vocal cords are still healing, “The Richest” represents the final capsule of her previous singing voice.
“My voice now is totally different. It’s actually better, should I say, but I don’t know that I can perform yet,” Long explained, adding that doctors gave her a six-month to one-year timeline before she can sing a full set. “I can sing sentences here and there, but I can’t perform just yet.”
A Radical Lesson for Black Women
Reflecting on the trauma that brought her to the brink of mortality, Long attributes the severity of her physical breakdown to emotional suppression and the societal pressure placed on Black women to constantly be resilient. According to medical data, lupus disproportionately affects Black women, often presenting with more severe, life-threatening complications at a younger age.
“I think the bulk of my trauma came from just holding everything in, trying to shoulder everybody else’s problems, always being the strong friend,” Long stated passionately. “Lupus disproportionately affects Black women who are just expected to show up and be everything for everybody. Don’t put yourself on the back burner… Rest if you need to. It is a radical thing for us to rest.”
Moving forward, the singer is prioritizing her personal well-being above industry demands, ensuring she preserves her health to be there for herself and her son.
Muni Long’s new single “The Richest” is available now on all streaming platforms. Leave your messages of love and support for Priscilla in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Atlanta Wave TV for more exclusive culture updates.
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