Elton John Apologises To Fans, After 'Potentially Deadly' Infection Forces Him To Cancel Nine Shows

The singer was taken ill at the end of his South American tour.

Sir Elton John has issued an apology to his fans, after being forced to cancel a string of live shows due to a “potentially deadly” bacterial infection.

The ‘Candle In The Wind’ singer became seriously ill last week, following his South American tour, prompting him to fly back to the UK to be treated.

He was then taken into intensive care, where he remained for two nights, with his spokesperson now confirming that he’s recovering, following the “rare” and “potentially deadly” infection.

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Elton John performing in Brazil earlier this month
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A statement read: “Elton’s medical team identified this quickly and treated it successfully. He is expected to make a full and complete recovery.”

Sir Elton has also extended his own thanks to his medical team, and apologised for the nine concerts his illness and recovery have prompted him to cancel.

He said: “I am so fortunate to have the most incredible and loyal fans and apologise for disappointing them. I am extremely grateful to the medical team for their excellence in looking after me so well.”

Nine Elton John shows in the US over the next two weeks have been cancelled, though it’s expected he will be well enough to carry on his UK tour in the summer, which begins in June.

It was recently confirmed that Sir Elton was contributing to a new musical production based on the hit film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, following his successes with ‘Billy Elliott’ and ‘The Lion King’.

He gushed at the time: “I’m a huge fan of both the book and the feature film, and a huge aficionado of the fashion world. I can’t wait to sink my musical teeth into this hunk of popular culture.”

Elton John: 75 Rare And Beautiful Early Years Photos
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British singer, songwriter and musician Elton John (Reginald Kenneth Dwight) playing piano. Rome, 1973 (Photo by Rino Petrosino\Mondadori Portfolio by Getty Images) (credit:Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 25: Elton John performs at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, California on October 25, 1975. (Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (credit:Larry Hulst via Getty Images)
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CIRCA 1971: Pop singer Elton John poses for a portrait wearing glasses in circa 1971. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (credit:Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images)
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(Original Caption) 8/25/1975-- L-r: Rock star Elton John is shown embracing singer Bette Midler on the set of the "Cher" TV show on CBS. Both are wearing outlandish costumes. (credit:Bettmann via Getty Images)
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7th November 1970: Portrait of British-born musician Elton John playing the piano and singing. John wears sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt covered in white stars, and many rings. (Photo by Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Jack Robinson via Getty Images)
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Portrait of British musician Elton John, dressed in a leather duster (or long coat) as he plays piano, 1970. (Photo by Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Jack Robinson via Getty Images)