NEW YORK - Madonna is recovering after falling ill with a "serious bacterial infection" that landed her in an intensive care unit for several days, her manager Guy Oseary said in a statement Wednesday.
"Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care," he said. "A full recovery is expected."
Oseary said the 64-year-old pop icon's "Celebrations" tour, due to start July 15 in Vancouver, Canada, was postponed until further notice.
The New York Post's Page Six website said the pop star was taken to a hospital in the city after becoming unwell.
Her global, nearly sold-out tour was billed as paying homage to Madonna's more than four-decade long career, and according to her website boasted 84 concert dates.
Stops in the United States were to include Detroit, Chicago, Miami and New York, the city where her storied rise to superstardom began.
She was then slated to continue in Europe, with dates in London, Barcelona and Paris, as well as four dates in Mexico City.
The Grammy-winning megastar behind classics including "Like a Virgin" has asserted incalculable influence over her stellar career as one of music's top stars.
In his statement on social media, her manager vowed to provide more information when available, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows.
In 2020 Madonna underwent hip replacement surgery following an injury sustained on her "Madame X" tour.
- 'Material Girl' -
Born in 1958, the Catholic-educated artist headed to New York in the late 1970s with just 35 dollars in her pocket.
She scraped a living through everything from nude modeling to selling donuts.
Her first big single was "Everybody" in 1982, followed by a string of hits including "Lucky Star," "Borderline," and "Holiday."
The 1984 release of "Like A Virgin" propelled Madonna onto the international stage.
She followed up in 1985 with another disco anthem, "Material Girl."
The early 1990s saw her don infamous pointy cone-shaped bras on her "Blond Ambition" Tour in 1990.
She also released a racy book called "Sex," filled with photographs of sexual acts that was released to accompany her 1992 album "Erotica."
In the late 1990s her music took off in a new direction, thumping to a new dance-flavored beat on her multi award-winning 1998 album "Ray of Light."
In 2003 she grabbed the showbiz world's attention by clinching pop princess Britney Spears in a lingering kiss on stage at that year's MTV Music Video Awards.
And she still displays the provocative streak for which she is both beloved and notorious.
In January, news dropped of her forthcoming tour in a video nodding to her 1991 documentary "Truth or Dare."
In the clip, the Queen of Pop plays the classic sleepover game with fellow celebrities, all with risque undertones.
"I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for," she said when announcing the tour. - AFP