Rock n’ roll veteran Elvis Costello has cancelled several upcoming European tour dates after revealing he was diagnosed with a “small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy” that forced him to undergo surgery to remove a tumour.

A statement on Costello‘s website divulges:

“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 traveling musician, playing 90-minute to 2-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.”

On a more cheerful note, fans can expect a new album in October. The album was recorded with The Imposters and “several of our other friends”.

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