Elton John contracted a "harmful and unusual" bacterial infection during his recent South American tour. After an extended hospital stay, where he spent two nights in intensive care, the star canceled all the scheduled shows for April and May.
John was discharged April 22 and, following his doctor's orders, is resting at home. While expected to make a full recovery, the musician won't be able to attend the events as initially programmed.
Elton John Cancels Tour
Those who bought tickets via credit card will receive a full refund credited to their cards, and those who paid cash can also request a refund at the original point of sale.
During the South American part of his tour, the artist had four concerts in Brazil, between March 31 and April 6, and a concert in Chile, dated April 10. Among the nine canceled concerts, one was The Million Dollar Piano, which was scheduled at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. A show in Bakersfield, California was also on the list.
"I am so fortunate to have the most incredible and loyal fans and apologize for disappointing them. I am extremely grateful to the medical team for their excellence in looking after me so well," the artist noted in the public apology.
A statement about John's condition noted that the infection he contracted is rare and potentially deadly; however, it did not mention specifically what bacterial infection the artist suffered from.
John's activity will resume on June 3 with his Twickenham concert in England. The artist's website was already updated to only include the concerts starting that date.
It is unclear whether the canceled gigs will be rescheduled or not.
The "Tiny Dancer" singer, who released his 32nd studio album called "Wonderful Crazy Night" in February 2016, shared a photo from his recent concert in Brazil on April 10.
"Remembering an amazing audience, in Porto Alegre last week. Hope you had as much fun as I did!" he posted with the photograph.
An Active Musical Career
The 70-year-old artist has a very active career. He recently confirmed that a "The Devil Wears Prada" musical will come to stage, and his songs will make the soundtrack. "The Devil Wears Prada" 2003 best-selling book became a movie in 2006, featuring Meryl Streep in the lead role as the magazine editor Miranda Priestly.
"I'm a huge fan of both the book and the feature film, and a huge aficionado of the fashion world," John stated.
His movie collaboration is no surprise for the musical aficionados. The star has previously collaborated on other successful musicals, such as "The Lion King", "Aida" and "Billy Elliot: The Musical".
John is the third most successful artist in the entire history of American charts, behind only Elvis Presley and the Beatles. His career included 56 top 40 singles in the United States, a total that only Presley has topped.
"Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, is one of the most highly acclaimed and successful solo artists of all time. He has achieved 38 gold and 31 platinum or multi-platinum albums, has sold more than 250 million records worldwide," notes his website.
