Elton John says he is grateful to be alive after learning he had been playing European tour dates while suffering from undiagnosed appendicitis.
The 66-year-old musician is quoted in The Sun newspaper Wednesday as saying he had struggled through the shows in pain, thinking he had food poisoning.
He later learned “I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time.”
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He added: “I feel so lucky and grateful to be alive.”
On Tuesday John canceled a show in London’s Hyde Park and other summer dates while he is treated for an inflamed appendix and surrounding abscess.
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He is due to have surgery in the next few weeks after treatment with antibiotics.
John’s new album, “The Diving Board,” is due out in September.
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