Elton John has COVID and suspends US tour dates

British singer and songwriter Elton John said he has COVID-19 and has been forced to postpone some U.S. concert tours although his symptoms were mild and he expected to be able to resume his farewell tour at the weekend.

The singer of hits such as “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer” restarted his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour last week, returning to the stage in New Orleans after a nearly two-year hiatus.

Elton John performs as he returns to complete his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour since it was postponed due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in 2020, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. January 19, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman

Elton John said he would reschedule the postponed shows in Dallas this week but was expecting to recover in time for concerts in Arkansas this weekend.

“I’m so sorry to anyone whose been inconvenienced by this but I want to keep myself and my team safe,” he said in an Instagram story. “Fortunately, I’m fully vaccinated and boosted and my symptoms are mild.”

Pop singer Elton John plays a specially re-written version of his classic Candle in the Wind during the funeral service for Diana, Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey September 6. Millions of people lined the streets of London to watch the funeral procession of the Princess who died in a car crash last week in Paris./File Photo

Marking his retirement from performing on the road, John’s global tour began in September 2018. Like other musicians he was forced to halt live shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September he announced he was pushing back the tour’s European dates later in 2021 due to hip problems.

John, who has enjoyed a more than 50-year music career, is due to perform across North America until April. His tour will then take him to Europe and back to North America before playing in Australia and New Zealand next year.

He is scheduled to wrap up the tour in Europe in 2023.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by William Schomberg)