A visibly emotional Sir Elton John has been forced to halt a concert in New Zealand after falling ill with walking pneumonia.
The 72-year-old musician lost his voice midway through his set at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday.
He told his crowd that night:
“I’ve just completely lost my voice. I can’t sing.”
“I’ve got to go. I’m sorry.”
Fans witnessed Sir Elton broke into tears as he leaned on his piano and shook his head.
After that, the audience gave the English singer an enthusiastic ovation as he slowly walked off stage, with the help of several assistants.
Earlier in his set, before the incident happened, Sir Elton already told the sold-out crowd he had been diagnosed with walking pneumonia on Sunday morning.
The concert was considered one of a number of New Zealand shows on Sir Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
In a Twitter post, the musician wrote:
“I want to thank everyone who attended the #EltonFarewellTour gig in Auckland tonight.
“I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia earlier today, but I was determined to give you the best show humanly possible.”
According to medical studies, Walking pneumonia, also known as atypical pneumonia, is a type of lung infection that’s usually caused by bacteria or viruses.
Reports said it is less severe than other types of pneumonia, with most of its victims not requiring medical attention. Symptoms may include those of a bad cold, often including cough, chest pain, a sore throat, and a headache.
Sir Elton John was checked by the medical team halfway through the show and, despite his illness, was still able to perform classics such as ‘Candle in the Wind’ and ‘All the Girls Love Alice.’
But unfortunately, he was unable to finish the set, his voice was evidently going away as he attempted to sing Daniel.
Just after leaving the stage, Sir Elton took to Instagram to express his apology in an emotional Instagram post:
“I played and sang my heart out until my voice could sing no more. I’m disappointed, deeply upset and sorry. I gave it all I had. Thank you so much for your extraordinary support and all the love you showed me during tonight’s performance. I am eternally grateful. Love, Elton xx.”
Concertgoers expressed sympathy for the singer, who remains one of the world’s most in-demand live performers, on social media.
In 2018, Sir Elton John announced he would stop touring in order to give time to his family. But he also announced he would say goodbye to fans in the form of 300 dates spanning three years.
As of today, It is still not clear how Sir Elton’s illness will affect his upcoming tour dates.