Elvis Costello announced Friday that he must cancel the rest of his summer tour dates in Europe following surgery for a “very aggressive cancerous” tumor.
“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,'” the 63-year-old singer shared in a statement on his website.
Elvis Costello poses on the red carpet before the 47th Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony in New York June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
“I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead,” he added. “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. ”
“I have to thank our friends attending last night’s show in Amsterdam and those in Antwerp, Glynde and at Newcastle City Hall for bearing me up,” he continued. “The spirit has been more than willing but I have to now accept that it is going to take longer than I would have wished for me to recover my full strength. Therefore, I must reluctantly cancel all the remaining engagements of this tour.”
“My apologies go to our ticket holders in Manchester, Pula, Graz, Vienna, Tysnes and Rattvik but I would rather disappoint our friends thereby not appearing than in pressing on with a show that is compromised and eventually puts my health at risk,” Costello shared.
The “Pump It Up” singer also encouraged men to “seek your doctor’s advice if you are in doubt” and explained that it was better “than playing roulette” with their lives.
The tour dates that were canceled include stops in Britain, Croatia, Norway, Sweden and Austria.