Eduard Khil, the Russian singer who shot to internet stardom after the video of a 1976 performance went super-viral, has reportedly suffered a stroke and is now in a coma at St. Petersburg Polenov Scientific Research Institute of Neurosurgery.
Eduard Khil might not ring any bells, but I’m sure that you recognize his other name, “Mr. Trololo.” Or, the “Trololo guy.” Khil’s performance of the Russian song “Я очень рад, ведь я, наконец, возвращаюсь домой,” or “I am Glad, ‘Cause I’m Finally Returning Back Home,” found its way to YouTube in 2009 and the rest was history. Millions of views later, his distinctive vocal style and odd mid-performance laughter had landed him in the annals of memedom.
The video became the “Russian Rickroll,” another stalwart YouTube clip for internet bait-and-switch tricks.
If it’s been awhile since you’ve seen it, check it out below:
Doctors say they are planning on surgery, but Khil is 77 years old so survival definitely isn’t a sure thing. Even then, recovery is an unknown proposition as they say his brain has suffered irreversible damage as a result of the trauma. Although he is known across the interwebs as Mr. Trololo, he is known in Russia for many other songs.
Khil’s “Trololo” video spawned numerous parodies, including this gem courtesy of JImmy Kimmel Live and Inglorious Basterds‘ Christoph Waltz:
[Image via Wikipedia]
