Rod Stewart Gives Health Update After Canceling Tour Shows – and His Granddaughter’s Arrival Made It an Emotional Week – Details

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Rod Stewart | Source: Getty Images
Rod Stewart Gives Health Update After Canceling Tour Shows – and His Granddaughter’s Arrival Made It an Emotional Week – Details

For a performer who has spent decades insisting the show must go on, being ordered to step away from the stage is no small thing, especially after weeks of warning signs that left fans wondering what was really happening behind the scenes.

Sir Rod Stewart has had a week filled with worry, disappointment, and one especially heartwarming family milestone. After mounting concern over his canceled shows, the 81-year-old singer has finally told fans what has been going on behind the scenes.

The update comes after a turbulent stretch for the rock legend, whose recent tour troubles have sparked everything from sympathetic messages to some surprisingly harsh reactions from frustrated concertgoers.

Some frustrated concertgoers criticized Stewart online after repeated cancellations, with one saying they had booked to see him three times. The backlash came before the singer publicly revealed the medical procedure behind his latest tour disruption. | Source: Instagram/sirrodstewart

But first, Stewart sought to reassure his fans that he is already feeling better. In a message shared on his official Instagram account, Stewart revealed, “I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend.”

“I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me,” he continued. The singer also acknowledged the disappointment caused by the latest disruption to his live schedule.

“I’m deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon,” he said, signing the message simply, “Rod.”

Rod Stewart told fans he is “already feeling better and very much on the mend” after undergoing a routine coronary stent procedure. Doctors have advised him to spend the next four weeks recuperating before returning to the stage. | Source: Instagram/sirrodstewart

The Reason Behind Stewart’s Tour Absence

That reassuring message followed a much more detailed medical update explaining why Stewart has now been forced away from the stage. According to the same post, following further medical evaluation, he successfully underwent a routine coronary stent procedure.

Doctors are said to be pleased with his recovery, while the artist is “doing very well” and has already returned to his normal day-to-day activities. Still, there is one important catch: his doctors do not want him rushing straight back into touring.

Stewart has been advised to spend the next four weeks recuperating and rebuilding his full fitness before returning to the stage. That recovery window means he cannot continue with his current tour dates, with information about affected performances being handled by individual promoters and venues.

One of those venues has already confirmed the disappointing news for ticket holders. The Riverbend Music Center event page lists Stewart’s “One Last Time” concert with special guest Richard Marx as canceled.

The venue explained that Stewart’s previously postponed Riverbend show, originally scheduled for August 9, would no longer go ahead following his medical evaluation and procedure.

Refunds are available at the point of purchase, according to Riverbend, while people who purchased their tickets through the Taft Theatre or The Andrew J Brady Music Center box offices can bring the tickets back during business hours for a refund.

A Frightening Onstage Moment Had Already Raised Alarm

For many fans, the cancellations may feel particularly worrying because they come after another alarming moment onstage only weeks earlier. During a June 19 performance in Utah, Stewart appeared to be struggling physically and eventually needed oxygen while continuing his concert.

As TMZ reported on June 20, the singer was seen doubling over in apparent discomfort during his set at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City. Video obtained by the outlet showed Stewart supporting himself using musical instruments, barriers, and even a pole at the side of the stage as he tried to keep performing.

Although he continued tapping his foot and staying with the music, backstage attendants eventually came to his aid. An oxygen tank was brought out, and Stewart took several large breaths from it before continuing.

Perhaps most characteristically, he even managed to joke with the crowd about the frightening episode. Stewart reportedly told concertgoers that he had nearly fainted before ultimately finishing the show while sitting in a chair because he needed to get off his feet.

At the time, the precise reason for his unsteadiness was not known. TMZ noted that West Valley City sits at roughly 4,300 feet above sea level, raising the possibility that altitude may have played a role, although that was never confirmed as the cause.

The Utah incident also followed another canceled performance in San Diego, which Stewart had attributed to laryngitis. However, he felt well enough to attend a World Cup match. Against that backdrop, the latest confirmation that he required a coronary stent procedure gives fans considerably more context about why doctors are now insisting on a proper recovery period.

Some Fans Were Far Less Forgiving Concerning the Show Cancellations

Not everyone online, however, reacted to the repeated concert disruption with patience. Some social media users voiced their frustration in the comment section of an Instagram post about the cancellations. One commenter wrote, “If he ever makes it to the US again, don’t book it. Never was a fan not [sic] even back in the day..”

Another was even more accusatory, “He let thousand of fans miss his concert because of a fake sick day! An unexcused absence sense [sic]!” A third person chimed in with, “Booked to see him 3 times and he’s cancelled every time. Waste of hotel and airfares. So unreliable.”

This Wasn’t Stewart’s First Health Scare of the Summer

The recent wellness setback is not the first time this summer that Stewart’s health has interfered with his performing schedule. At the beginning of June, the singer explained that an “awful” sinus infection had been behind two canceled Las Vegas shows.

After returning to the stage, Stewart told the audience this news at his June 2 concert, according to E! News. “I should’ve gone to the hospital but I didn’t,’ he stated further.

Stewart said his decision not to get checked out immediately ultimately led to his ears and eardrums becoming infected. “I couldn’t hear a thing,” the singer admitted. “When you’ve got your ears blocked up, it ruins your equilibrium,” he added, even warning the audience that he “might stumble a bit” during the show.

Still, he was determined to make the most of being back in front of his fans. “I’m here with a good voice,” he said. “Enjoy yourselves!” A representative had previously told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Stewart would miss his May 29 and 30 performances on “doctor’s advice.”

The singer apologized directly to his fans at the time and said, “I am on vocal rest as I recover from a sinus infection. I look forward to seeing you at a future show at Caesars Palace or on tour this summer.”

Despite that run of health setbacks, Stewart has long made clear that canceled dates should not automatically be mistaken for signs that he intends to walk away from performing altogether. When retirement speculation surrounded him in 2023, he addressed it himself in an Instagram statement.

“I’d like to clear up any confusion that I may have caused with my dear fans and the media,” he wrote before declaring: “I shall never retire!” “I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good Lord lets me,” he added.