Simply Red misses Brazil TV show after plane drama

Mick Hucknall, lead singer of Simply Red, performs during the 50th International Song Festival in Vina Del Mar city, about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Santiago, February 26, 2009.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British pop band Simply Red canceled a TV performance in Brazil after lead singer Mick Hucknall's plane was forced to make an emergency landing, the group said on Monday.

Hucknall was en route from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro to appear with his bandmates on the TV show 'Domingao do Faustao' on Sunday when the pressure in the cabin fell and the oxygen masks failed to come down.

"The plane had to make a quick descent from 35,000 feet to 5,000 feet and was left without enough fuel to continue its journey to Rio," said a statement on the band's website.

The plane was diverted to Sao Paulo, where there were no connections allowing him to get to Rio on time.

The band said Hucknall was advised to rest to allow his throat and ears time to recover, but three Brazilian concerts scheduled for later this week would still go ahead. The band is on a world tour to promote a greatest hits album.

(Editing by Dean Goodman)