
Sir Rod Stewart was ‘flabbergasted’ by emotional AMAs surprise
Sir Rod Stewart was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the AMAs, but he had no clue there was another surprise planned.
Bang Showbiz
Sir Rod Stewart is apologizing to fans after canceling several shows as he recovers from the flu.
The rocker, 80, axed four tour dates and rescheduled two more, cutting down on an ongoing Las Vegas residency as he works his way back to good health.
“I have to cancel and reschedule my next six concerts in June as I continue to recover from the flu,” Stewart wrote in a post to his Instagram on June 6. “So sorry my friends. I’m devastated and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to my fans. I’ll be back on stage and will see you soon.”
The canceled shows include four running from June 7-10 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, part of his second residency in Sin City, and one on June 14 on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Two shows in California, on June 12 and 15, were rescheduled to late September.
The spate of cancellations follows a notable onstage absence for the musician beginning in June. On the first of the month, Stewart canceled a Las Vegas show day of, saying he was feeling “unwell,” and rescheduled the performance for June 10, which is among the dates he just bowed out of.
Then on June 4, he axed his Vegas performance for June 5, citing an advisory from his doctor. The string of missed shows has begun to raise questions about the rocker’s health for an upcoming performance at the Glastonbury music festival later this month. He is scheduled to be one of the oldest acts to ever take the legendary U.K. stage.
In May, Stewart performed at the American Music Awards, treating fans to a rendition of “Forever Young” after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Stewart also has several shows set for the summer as part of his One Last Time Tourwhich crisscrosses the country from June through August.
Part of a generation of rockers who have extended their greatest hits through ambitious tours well into their 70s and 80s, Stewart is not alone in suspending some of his performances. Joining the ranks with stars like Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel, his absence, while disappointing to fans and ticketholders, may now appear more run-of-the-mill as aging acts take a beat to address health issues before returning to the stage.