Fighting a very aggressive cancer
Elvis Costello: I’m
ELVIS Costello has revealed he has been battling a ‘very aggressive’ cancer which has forced him to cancel the remaining dates of his European tour.
The 63-year-old musician sparked concern among fans last month after cancelling performances in Southend and Plymouth.
The singer-songwriter went under the knife in May but yesterday said that, despite returning to his tour, he needs further rest to recover fully.
Costello said by the time he reached Edinburgh at the end of last month for a gig at the city’s Playhouse, he realised something wasn’t quite right.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Costello, whose real name is Declan Patrick MacManus, said: ‘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.
‘I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead.
‘Post-surgical guidelines for such surgery recommend three weeks to four weeks recovery depending on whether you are returning to a desk job or an occupation that involves physical work or travel.
‘It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the demands on a travelling musician, playing 90minute to two-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.’
The father of two, whose best known songs include Oliver’s Army and I Can’t Stand up for Falling Down, is one of the most influential artists to emerge from the 1970s punk and new wave scene.
Thanking his friends and fans for their support, Costello’s statement continued: ‘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. Therefore, I must reluctantly cancel all the remaining engagements of this tour.’
He added: ‘To leave you with some more optimistic news, The Imposters and I have made a magnificent new record of which we are truly proud. It will be issued in October, I believe.
‘We will return at the soonest opportunity to play that music and your favourite songs that still make sense to us all.’