Muni Long's Resilient Recovery
Muni Long details life-saving double lung transplant after lupus crisis, now focusing on recovery and new music
Key Points
During her Good Morning America interview, Muni Long said, 'I should have never taken that tour,' acknowledging that touring while battling lupus contributed to the health crisis that led to hospitalization.
She returned to music with a solo single, 'Richest,' on June 22, described as her first solo release of the year and a milestone in her comeback.
The track 'The Riches' was recorded before her health crisis, signaling the end of her previous era and aligning with the emotional arc of her recovery.
Long has publicly noted that lupus was diagnosed in 2014, providing context for the chronic health issues she has managed throughout her career.
Grammy-winning R&B singer Muni Long revealed on June 23, 2026 that she underwent an emergency double lung transplant after doctors told her she had roughly one week to live. The 37-year-old, born Priscilla Renea Hamilton, made the announcement during a live interview on Good Morning America, saying she now feels "fabulous" six months after the life-saving surgery.
Long, who has lived with lupus since her 2014 diagnosis, had been performing on Brandy and Monica's "The Boy Is Mine Tour" as her health quietly collapsed around her. She woke up in a hospital around Thanksgiving to a stark choice: hospice care or new lungs. "You can either go to hospice or get these lungs," she recalled doctors telling her, according to Variety.
A Tour She Says She Should Never Have Taken
Long joined Brandy and Monica's tour in summer 2025 as a supporting act. Even then, her body was struggling. By October 2025, she missed the Chicago leg of the tour entirely after developing pneumonia. R&B veteran Mya stepped in to cover her dates, according to E! Online.
Long pushed through anyway. At her final performance, she managed only two songs before her body gave out. She officially left the tour on November 29-30, 2025. On Good Morning America, she said bluntly, "I should have never taken that tour." She added that industry pressure and personal pride drove her to keep going despite obvious signs of organ failure.
Doctors Gave Her One Week Without a Transplant
After returning home for Thanksgiving, Long was hospitalized. She woke up to find doctors presenting a brutal ultimatum: about seven days to live without a transplant. She chose the surgery. The double lung transplant was performed in December 2025, according to East Bay Times.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. It disproportionately affects Black women and can attack internal organs, including the lungs. Long had previously noted at the 2025 BET Awards that she was performing with "one functioning lung." The disease had been quietly dismantling her respiratory system for years, according to Mercury News.
Vocal Surgery Added Another Layer to Her Recovery
The transplant was not Long's only surgery. She also underwent vocal surgery to address complications from the procedure. Transplant patients often face permanent vocal changes from intubation and the physical trauma of surgery. Long's medical team mandated a full six to 12 months of rest before she can consider returning to the stage, according to Variety.
Despite that, Long says her voice now feels better than it did before. The track "The Riches," recorded before her health crisis, stands as the last studio document of her pre-transplant voice. Fans and critics will likely compare future recordings closely to that benchmark.
New Music Marks the Start of Her Comeback
On June 22, 2026 — one day before her GMA reveal — Long released the solo single "Richest" through Def Jam Recordings. It was her first solo release of the year. The song was framed as a milestone in her comeback narrative, according to Head Topics.
Long said the experience changed how she thinks about herself and her career. She described a shift away from "ego and vanity" toward prioritizing quality of life for herself and her son. "Rest is not radical," she has said publicly — a phrase that quickly spread on social media and sparked wider conversation about health pressures facing Black women in the music industry.
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