Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett was released from hospital in Australia Thursday after plunging off the stage during a concert encore and hitting his head.
The US musician, best known for his 1977 hit Margaritaville, fell from the stage in front of a sell-out crowd in Sydney on Wednesday, horrifying fans and crew.
"I thought he'd broken his neck," said Sydney surgeon Gordian Fulde, who happened to be in the audience.
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"I heard the clunk of his head on a metal ledge, he has a deep gash on his scalp, which is alright now.
"But at first I thought -- this guy is going to be a spinal injury," Fulde told ABC radio.
Buffett, 64, fell face-first as he reached out to a fan in the front row, misjudging how close he was to the edge of the stage because there were lights in his eyes, the doctor added.
He was knocked unconscious and left bleeding from a deep head wound.
After being stabilised at the scene Buffett was rushed to hospital for head and neck scans.
The singer showed no sign of amnesia or cognitive impairment and Fulde said the tests were all clear.
"He just needs a bit of rest and there's every expectation that he will be able to get to New Zealand to do his concert there," he said.
Buffett's management released a short statement on his website early Thursday saying he had been "released from the hospital and is doing well".
His next show is in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.
