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| Elton John postpones concerts to undergo surgery | Elton John postpones concerts to undergo surgery |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Sir Elton John is to undergo surgery after being taken ill with appendicitis and has cancelled several shows including a headline performance at London's Hyde Park. | |
| The veteran musician is undergoing intensive treatment to contain the condition after a series of scans and blood tests by UK medics to identify the source of his ill health. | The veteran musician is undergoing intensive treatment to contain the condition after a series of scans and blood tests by UK medics to identify the source of his ill health. |
| The star had been due to perform at Hyde Park on Friday night, topping a bill that also features Elvis Costello and Ray Davies. Organisers have announced that the show will be a free event following Sir Elton's withdrawal, and ticket-holders will be refunded. | |
| The 66-year-old singer called in doctors after he became ill during his European tour. They advised him to cancel all the dates on his current tour. | The 66-year-old singer called in doctors after he became ill during his European tour. They advised him to cancel all the dates on his current tour. |
| A statement on behalf of the singer said he had been diagnosed with an "appendix abscess surrounding retrocaecal appendicitis". | A statement on behalf of the singer said he had been diagnosed with an "appendix abscess surrounding retrocaecal appendicitis". |
| He is expected to undergo surgery in the UK in the next few weeks, when doctors are sure they have reduced toxins around the inflamed appendix sufficiently. | |
| The singer's spokesman said he would not return to touring until fully recovered from the surgery and the damage caused by the abscess. | The singer's spokesman said he would not return to touring until fully recovered from the surgery and the damage caused by the abscess. |
| He went on: "Elton is incredibly disappointed to postpone these tour dates. To know that he made such superhuman efforts and continued to perform to thousands through his illness only confirms his dedication to his European fans. | He went on: "Elton is incredibly disappointed to postpone these tour dates. To know that he made such superhuman efforts and continued to perform to thousands through his illness only confirms his dedication to his European fans. |
| "He is eager to be back on top form and return to play the remaining shows starting in early September 2013." | "He is eager to be back on top form and return to play the remaining shows starting in early September 2013." |
| John was confirmed earlier on Tuesday as one of the stars due to play the iTunes Festival at London's Roundhouse in September. | John was confirmed earlier on Tuesday as one of the stars due to play the iTunes Festival at London's Roundhouse in September. |
| It is the latest health scare for the chart star. Last year he cancelled a number of shows as a result of a respiratory infection during a series of US dates. He also missed concerts due to a bout of food poisoning. | |
| In 1999 he had a pacemaker fitted for an irregular heartbeat. | |
| John has recently been promoting his forthcoming album The Diving Board, which is due to be released in September. It is his first studio recording of new solo material since his 2006 album The Captain & The Kid. His most recent album was his 2010 collaboration with Leon Russell, called The Union. | |
| His Hyde Park show was part of the Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Festival. Other acts such as Davies, Costello, Nick Lowe and others will still perform at the event, which will now be free of charge as a gesture of goodwill following John's cancellation. | His Hyde Park show was part of the Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Festival. Other acts such as Davies, Costello, Nick Lowe and others will still perform at the event, which will now be free of charge as a gesture of goodwill following John's cancellation. |
| Rob Hallett, the president of international live touring for show promoter AEG Live, said: "We certainly wish Elton a speedy recovery and know that he would have hated for us to cancel the whole day's events because of this. | Rob Hallett, the president of international live touring for show promoter AEG Live, said: "We certainly wish Elton a speedy recovery and know that he would have hated for us to cancel the whole day's events because of this. |
| "In the beautiful surroundings of Hyde Park and the incredible weather we are having, our show goes on. And there's no better way to enjoy the start of our final weekend than with a free event for all to enjoy, with some excellent headline artists topping off even more great entertainment in our 10-day event." | "In the beautiful surroundings of Hyde Park and the incredible weather we are having, our show goes on. And there's no better way to enjoy the start of our final weekend than with a free event for all to enjoy, with some excellent headline artists topping off even more great entertainment in our 10-day event." |
| Fans can apply for free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis at www.bst-hydepark.com/12julyupdate. |