It was said that Utaemon VI suffered from congenital dislocation of his left leg, so he was laid up for a few years since it got worse when he was young but could eventually walk again after major surgery.
六代目歌右衛門は、先天性の左足脱臼を患っており、幼少時にそれが悪化して数年寝込み、大手術を行ってやっと歩けるようになったといわれる。