Elton John has announced he is postponing his 2021 “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour dates in Europe and the U.K. until 2023.
In a statement, Sir Elton said, “At the end of my summer break I fell awkwardly on a hard surface and have been in considerable pain and discomfort in my hip ever since. Despite intensive physio and specialist treatment, the pain has continued to get worse and is leading to increasing difficulties moving. I have been advised to have an operation as soon as possible to get me back to full fitness and make sure there are no long-term complications. I will be undertaking a program of intensive physiotherapy that will ensure a full recovery and a return to full mobility without pain.”
He added, “I am going to complete the charitable Global Citizen event on 25th September as I don’t want to let a charity down. Being just five songs it’s a very different physical undertaking to the demands of playing for close to three hours every night on tour and travelling overnight between countries. After this I will be having the operation to ensure the tour can get back on the road in January of 2022 in New Orleans.”
He concluded, “I know how patient my incredible fans have been since Covid halted touring last year, and it breaks my heart to keep you waiting any longer. I completely feel your frustrations after the year we’ve had. I promise you this – the shows will return to the road next year and I will make sure they are more than worth the wait.”
While fans wait for Sir Elton to return to the road, they can check out his new album, The Lockdown Sessions, which is due out on October 22 and currently available for pre-order at EltonJohn.com. The album is made up of various collaborations John took part in during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
In a statement on the album, he said, “The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one‐off projects kept cropping up and I’ve ended with a selection of really interesting and diverse stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory.”
He added, “And I realized there was something weirdly familiar about working like this. At the start of my career, in the late 60s, I worked as a session musician. Working with different artists during lockdown reminded me of that. I’d come full circle: I was a session musician again. And it was still a blast.”