Elton John was forced to postpone his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour until 2023 after a fall on his hip that requires surgery, and in a new interview the star has opened up about how he came to the decision.
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Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he explained: "I'm a recovering alcoholic so everything that happens I have to accept, and I can't really change it. The only thing I can change is to do something positive. Get it done now, I hate disappointing people and I hate cancelling shows."
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He went on to reveal the extent of the pain the injury has caused him: "I sing for two hours, 45 minutes and I'm in pain," he said. "So I want to really enjoy what I'm doing. It's my last tour and I want to give 100 per cent for my fans, so it was a painful decision and quite a long time to reach but in the end of the day, it was getting so bad, and I fell over and that was the icing on the cake."
His husband David Furnish encouraged Elton to take a step back for the sake of his health.
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"David told me I had to stop," Elton added. "And we'll start again in January, and that was the right decision. It didn't cause me a load of mental anguish, the only anguish I have is letting people down."
He added that he felt it would be more disappoint for fans if he had to cancel it "halfway through to me being ill", or if his "hip was hurting too much".
Elton John sustained a hip injury earlier this year
He concluded that it was the most "sensible" option, and that he would be "raring to go" after surgery this month.
"For everyone that's bought tickets for the O2, other venues around Britain and in Europe, I'm extremely sorry but I want to give 100 per cent of myself."
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