Elton John, suffering from undiagnosed appendicitis, scrapped his European tour earlier this week after severe stomach pains forced him to walk off stage last Friday in Halle, Germany.
In an interview with Britain's
The Sun newspaper, the 66-year-old English rocker told the tabloid, "I’m lucky to be alive."
"I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time," John told The Sun. "I feel so lucky and so grateful to be alive. I played nine gigs and the White Tie and Tiara Summer Ball in agony."
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The veteran musician said he initially believed the pain was caused by food poisoning. After learning of the dangerously inflamed abscess, John was administered antibiotics to combat the potential for blood poisoning, The Sun reported.
Once the swelling is reduced, he will undergo surgery.
A source close to John told The Sun that the English singer is presently confined to bed rest at his Windsor home, adding, "Elton is over the worst but is still very sick. It’s been a horrible ordeal."
As a result of the appendicitis scare, John has cancelled the remainder of his European tour over the summer, having been replaced by Kinks legend Ray Davies at Friday’s Barclaycard British Summertime Festival in Hyde Park.
According to The Sun, as a result of John's announcement, tickets will now be free for the show, which will also include performances by Elvis Costello, Gabrielle Aplin and Nick Lowe.
"He hates not being able to do gigs he was booked for. But there’s no way fans will blame him considering the ordeal he’s just been through," the source told The Sun.
Over the past year, John had played 170 gigs.
His new album, "The Diving Board," is due out in September.
The London born singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist, who has also dabbled in acting over the years, has sold more than 250 million records over his five-decade long career.
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Named one of the 100 greatest artists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, John has won six Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. He also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from "The Lion King."
John, who is openly gay, has two adopted sons and lives with his partner Canadian filmmaker David Furnish.
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