LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — Rock legend Jeff Lynne canceled the final appearance of what was billed as his final tour, citing illness.
Lynne was scheduled to appear with his band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) at the final show of the BST Hyde Park concert series on Sunday but dropped out on doctor’s advice while undergoing treatment for a “systemic infection.”
“Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors who have advised him that performing is simply not possible at this time nor will he be able to reschedule,” a statement shared on ELO’s social media said.
“The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff’s mind today — and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time,” it added.
The canceled BST Hyde Park show comes after Lynne pulled out of a scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-Op Live on July 10th, also citing health concerns.
Founded by Jeff Lynne, multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan in Birmingham in 1970, Electric Light Orchestra helped to define the progressive rock sound of the 1970s, fusing elements of rock, pop, and classical music with an innovative use of orchestral elements. The group produced a string of hits that include: “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Livin’ Thing,” and “Telephone Line” among others.
The group disbanded in 1986 but was reunited as Jeff Lynne’s ELO in 2014. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
