Elvis Costello has cancelled the rest of his European tour after undergoing surgery for “a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy.”
The 63-year-old singer, who had been due to perform in the likes of Manchester, Plymouth and Southend in the U.K., as well as Croatia, Austria, Norway and Sweden over the next month, released a statement via his official website.
The post read: “Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, ‘you should start playing the Lotto.’
“He had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery. I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead.”
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Costello’s message continued: “Post-surgical guidelines for such surgery, recommend three weeks to four weeks recovery depending on whether you are returning to a desk job or an occupation that involves physical work or travel.”
“It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the demands on a travelling musician, playing 90-minute to 2-hour plus performances on a nightly basis but by the time we reached the Edinburgh Playhouse, I was almost fooled into thinking that normal service had been resumed.”
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The musician added that he now has to accept that it’s going to take longer for him to recover than he’d hoped, telling fans: “Therefore, I must reluctantly cancel all the remaining engagements of this tour.”
Costello finished up the lengthy statement by saying: “Take very good care of your loved ones but Gentleman, do talk to your friends – you’ll find you are not alone – seek your doctor’s advice if you are in doubt or when it is timely and act as swiftly as you may in these matters.
“It may save your life. Believe me, it is better than playing roulette.”
Read his full statement here.
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