Musician Elvis Costello has canceled the rest of his European tour, revealing that he is struggling to recover from surgery to remove a "cancerous malignancy."
In a statement released on Friday, Costello, 63, said that he'd recently undergone surgery for an "aggressive" cancer and had planned on continuing his performances, but was now canceling the rest of his summer tour dates.
Elvis Costello has been forced to cancel the remaining 6 dates of his current European tour on medical grounds. His doctor has strongly advised him to take a break from his current tour itinerary and rest. Please click here for more information - https://t.co/tEqHUo5l5o
“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," said Costello, adding that he'd been thrilled that his European summer tour could go ahead.
Following his surgery, the Grammy Award–winning singer and songwriter played shows in Amsterdam; Antwerp, Belgium; and Glynde and Newcastle, both in England.
"It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the demands on a traveling 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," wrote Costello.
But he says that he's now unable to continue the tour, and he's canceling gigs in Manchester, England; Pula, Croatia; Graz and Vienna in Austria; Tysnes, Norway; and Rattvik, Sweden.
"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," Costello wrote.
The English musician did not reveal what type of cancer he has, but gave a warning to male fans in his statement to be aware of their health:
Take very good care of your loved ones but Gentleman, do talk to you 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.