Huge US music star cancels European tour telling devastated fans ‘it's not an easy decision'
The Philadelphia-born performer, 34, made the shock reveal on his Instagram Stories - telling his fans "it's not an easy decision."
Advertisement
4
A US country music star has scrapped the European leg of his tour
Credit: Getty
4
HARDY has cancelled his Jim Bob Tour for 'the sake of my band, crew and family'
Credit: Instagram
4
He posted a message on his Instagram Stories as he broke the sad news to UK fans
Credit: Instagram
Hardy, full name Michael Wilson Hardy, has now axed his Jim Bob Tour just days before he was set to take to the stage.
The Psycho hitmaker was due to play a host of UK and Ireland dates in the UK and Ireland, kicking off in Birmingham on June 25 and wrapping that segment of the gigs in Dublin on July 3.
A statement on his social media was written in white text on a black background and read: "I have decided to cancel the European leg of the JIM BOB TOUR.
"It wasn't an easy decision but one I had to make for my band, crew and my family.
Advertisement
read more us music star
"Please know that I love you all and that I will be back as soon as I can.
"Refunds will automatically issued by your point of purchase."
The Favorite Country Song hitmaker then ignored his tour woe to upload a slide revealing his "pride" in collaborating on new Lauren Alaina track Heaven Sent.
The chart star is married to Caleigh Hardy and the pair welcomed daughter Rose Ryan in March.
Advertisement
Most read in Music
Latest
Exclusive
Fans were quick to react to the sad news on X, with one who posted: "Can't even give a reason. What a melt. Fuming tbh."
A second put: "Knew it was going to happen eventually. The Belfast show had to move to venue last week then this."
Beyonce 'giving away' Cowboy Carter tour tickets in London after struggling to fill seats
A third then quizzed: "Poor ticket sales???"
The chart topper gave no further explanation for the tour axe.
Advertisement
COUNTRY STAR
Hardy scooped the prestigious accolade of BMI Country Songwriter of the Year in 2022.
Yet it was his 2023 album, The Mockingbird and The Crow, which got fans talking.
He recently spoke of his favourite-ever gig to date and said: "My favourite one that comes to mind is Faster Horses in 2021.
"It's a festival in Michigan, and we had a day slot — we went on at 5 p.m. But it was at a very momentous moment in my career.
Advertisement
"There was just a lot of hype, and we could feel it out in the crowd. And there was like 28,000 people there. My Live Nation rep was like, 'Dude, there's never been this many people here at this time of day. You should go out there and just pretty much f**k 'em up!'"
He added to
"We only had eight or 10 songs to play, because we only had like a 30- or 40-minute slot; but man, we just absolutely brought the house down — and the crowd was so, so good."
It comes just days after we reported a US music festival had been scrapped for bad weather.
Advertisement
It was set to feature Hardy's fellow country music star Luke Combs and music producer Dom Dolla taking to the stage.
Meanwhile, Aussie pop princess Kylie Minogue was
4
Fans suspected the U-Turn was due to poor ticket sales, but this has not been confirmed
Credit: Instagram
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
a few seconds ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Vicious' Meg is trying to one-up Kate with money-grabbing Netflix deal but it WON'T work, expert slams
MEGHAN Markle has been labelled as "vicious" amid her latest venture - as her "Christmas special" clashes with Princess Kate's beloved holiday concert. Season 2 of Meghan's controversial cookery show will drop later this month - after she and Harry signed their latest deal with the streamer. 6 Season 2 of Meghan's controversial cookery show will drop later this month Credit: Netflix 6 With Love, Meghan was blasted for being out of touch Credit: Netflix 6 Her Christmas Special may clash with Kate's holiday concert Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The couple announced yesterday they had signed a new "multi-year, first look deal" with the American streaming giant to produce "film and television projects" - despite doubts being cast on their future. The deal is a "downgraded" version of the couple's original $100million contract - with the US streaming giant only approving projects it likes. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously released a number of shows on the platform, including a 2022 documentary on their lives and Meghan's lifestyle show With Love, Meghan this year. But one show already earmarked to feature as part of the new deal is Meghan's own 'holiday special' this December. This will clash with the Princess of Wales' annual Christmas carol concert. Kate Middleton's annual Together At Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey is usually a heartfelt and profound end to the year. Royal Expert Hugo Vickers said the Christmas crossover is another example of Meghan trying to 'cap' her sister-in-law's work. This is especially harsh given how Kate's TV special celebrates charity work and is done for the benefit of 'the rest of the world' - rather than 'vicious' Meghan's need to keep 'money coming in'. He told The Sun: "It's always said that whenever Catherine the Princess of Wales starts something that Meghan Markle does something else to cap it, or in some ways clash with it. "Maybe that is the case. Obviously, there are lots of Christmas shows around Christmas. Harry & Meghan were 'not in a strong position' & signed Netflix deal for 'much less'… TV giant 'did it for publicity' "Having said that, of course, the initiative of the Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey is incredibly moving and incredibly special, and is done for the benefit of the rest of the world, for all the people who've been suffering, all the people who've helped with charities, all that sort of thing, so it's all for the public good. "And I'm not quite convinced that Meghan Markle is going to be dissecting some more petals and scattering them over salads, or whatever she's going to be doing in California, is in quite the same league. "I can see how a Christmas special on the cards. "It's a bit like Downton Abbey, which ran and ran and ran and always had a Christmas special, which people tuned into." Hugo added: "Obviously Netflix is a very hard-nosed business operation, and they won't have taken them on just out of charity, or they obviously think it's worthwhile. And of course, she does have an enormous number of followers. "The one great thing that Harry and Meghan have in their favour is that anything they do, however trivial, seems to attract a lot of publicity, which must surely be good for Netflix. "They've got to rely on things like this, because they lead such an expensive lifestyle. And they just need money coming in, because the money must be pouring out." It comes after Newsweek's royal editor Jack Royston claimed the "rivalry" between Kate and Meghan is still going strong. Speaking on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show, Jack shared: 'There was 100 per cent definitely a massive rivalry between the Sussexes and the Waleses dating back to when they were sharing a private office at Kensington Palace. 'And this sort of thing, you would absolutely cut and dry say, was a 100 per cent massive rivalry.' Both Meghan and Kate proudly shared photos of their kids artwork on social media in the same week - Kate posting on the Monday, and Meghan on the Thursday. One person commented: "She's so ever, a copycat!" And in an explosive tell-all chat with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan later claimed it was Kate that made her cry just days before her wedding. Previously, it was claimed Meghan left Kate in tears over her demands for Princess Charlotte's dress. In the announcement of the Netflix deal extension, Meghan said in a statement: 'We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand. "My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.' Hugo said the announcement seemed "very Meghan-centric", leading on her ventures and only referring to Harry as her "husband". What appears to be his personal passion project was mentioned later on, a short film called "Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within". 'Meghan & Harry need to come up with a hit soon' By Matt Wilkinson JUST when you thought it was safe to turn the telly on again... Harry and Meghan are back. And their multi-year renewal with Netflix means they are not going away anytime soon. There have been tense negotiations in recent weeks but Netflix is so deeply involved with Meghan's As Ever brand it was always likely that the streaming giants would want them back. Make no mistake, Harry and Meghan would have been desperate for the deal to be renewed. They will likely be opening a bottle or two of As Ever Rose in Montecito. Because they have invested heavily in Archewell Productions and getting on board with Netflix is central not only to their post-Royal endeavours but more importantly crucial to their bank accounts. If they lost their Netflix money then how could they afford their life in the US? While the length of the deal or how much the couple are getting paid is vague we do know that Meghan will appear in a 'holiday special' in December that will likely clash with the Princess of Wales's annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey. And finally, two years after I revealed in The Sun the couple had bought the rights to the book Meet Me At The Lake, production is in active development. Sources close to the couple are coy about whether Harry or Meghan will appear on screen for the production of Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within which will air later this year. But perhaps the best piece of news from the announcement is no repeat of the six-part documentary which dumped on the Royal Family. However, 'Harry & Meghan' was a ratings dream and none of their projects since have been anywhere as successful. They need to come up with a hit soon. And this 'first look' deal means Netflix has the first option on new projects from the couple without any guaranteed commitment. But remember the Sussexes are not the only Royals to be in bed with Netflix. The King will feature in a documentary on The King's Foundation with Idris Elba. It will look at Uganda's Masaka region and the HIV/AIDS crisis there. This has echoes of Harry's mum Diana's work, who changed the world's view about HIV and Aids. Hugo commented: "His skill, of course, is totally different. He was trained to do things for the Army, the Commonwealth, Invictus Games, all those sort of things, which he's actually very good at, and that's where his skills should be used. "She is more of a red carpet Hollywood person, and so I'm not surprised at all that he is only a kind of walk-on part, but she needs him there every now and again. "As you will have seen if you watch the cookery programs, he has to come in at the end, you know, with a with a grin to show that he's onside about it. "And again, in the awful Oprah Winfrey interview, he was wheeled in at the end so that we knew that he knew about it. "So, husband? Yep, that's what it is. He is the husband of Meghan Markle now." Asked if he thinks Harry will make an appearance in Meghan's Season 2, he said: "He probably will. He usually does. He does what he's told." Hugo wishes Harry would do more charitable work and raise awareness of good causes, which would be more in line with the work of the Royal Family. "I'm all for him doing things for Uganda and for other countries like that. I wish he'd do more of it, because he's very good at it, he's very good at it, and he does attract attention to it, to these different enterprises. "Our royal family all are always doing things for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, and they aren't seeking to do things for themselves, whereas Harry and Meghan are doing things for themselves. "If he can focus attention on issues in Uganda... That's what he's good at, and that's what he should do much more of, and I think we would greatly respect him if he did." Speaking about the contrast between Meghan's cookery show and Harry's more serious short film, Hugo said: "They are two very different people. "There's a huge contrast between focusing on issues that need to be thought about in Uganda, and being all sort of lovey in the kitchen. "We would take her happy kitchen life much more seriously if we hadn't seen the other Meghan in the Oprah interview. "We've seen how vicious she can be, which is the real Meghan Markle? "The one with the black eyeliner, spitting venom and fury against the royal family, or the one chopping up the petals and scattering them on the salads." He also slammed the show as out-of-touch - wondering if Meghan will heed the backlash to her first season. Across eight 33-minute episodes the mum-of-two made cringe jokes about her bacon, shared recipes with pals, learnt from celeb chefs and even became emotional over bees. But less than an hour after the release, harsh viewers already left scathing criticism. One penned on X: "I'm not even 30 seconds into the first episode and I already know that With Love, Meghan is the FAKESTEST stuff ever." Another added: "Six minutes of with love Meghan... ok only for richest bye bye." "All of Meghan Markle's 'recipes' can be found on Pinterest," claimed someone else. Hugo added: "I don't know about you, but you don't normally wear a white dress in the kitchen, and you usually have an apron of any sort. "It all looked a bit fake. It wasn't even her kitchen anyway. It all looks so easy, and it, yeah, it's out of touch, it's just not relevant. "And there are other people who are professional chefs who are very much better at it." The Sun approached Archewell for comment. 6 Meghan has carried out a number of business ventures this year Credit: Instagram 6 It is yet to be revealed whether Harry will appear in Season 2 Credit: BackGrid
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Megan McKenna cruelly mum-shamed after she shares sweet video of baby son
mother's love Megan McKenna cruelly mum-shamed after she shares sweet video of baby son MEGAN McKenna was cruelly mum-shamed after sharing an adorable photo of her son. The reality star welcomed son Landon last year, with husband Oliver Burke. Advertisement 4 Megan McKenna welcomed her son Landon last year Credit: 4 The reality star shared a video of her cooking spaghetti - accompanied by Landon Credit: instagram/meganmckenna 4 Megan tied the knot with Oliver Burke last month Credit: Charlotte Wise Photography Taking to Instagram, Megan shared a video of her cooking spaghetti - with Landon sat in an armchair beside her. However, the star's followers were soon disagreeing in her comments section. One wrote: 'Megan he's sat in the direct sun light in that position. Can you not tilt the blinds or something x ' Another replied: 'if it was bothering him you'd know because he would be agitated! He looks calm and happy from here.' Advertisement A third person said: 'I bet if he was sitting somewhere else out of the sun you'd be the kind of person who would comment that he needs to be in the sun!' A fourth posted: 'Have a day off Trace.' Megan previously shared video footage of Landon in a sweet Instagram clip. She announced his name and revealed that he was born on October 7 at 8.33am, weighing 9lbs 2oz. Advertisement The adorable home movie footage taken after the birth showed both Megan and Oliver cuddling their bundle of joy. The cutie was also seen rubbing his face as he slept and enjoyed a feed. Megan McKenna looks incredible as she shows off post baby body in a bikini 8 months after giving birth Meanwhile, celebrity pals soon offered their well-wishes to the couple. "Congratulations," commented Michelle Keegan, alongside a string of heart emojis. Advertisement "Congratulations! He is perfection," added Shaughna Phillips. "Awww congratulations Megan a beautiful baby boy," weighed in Sophie Kasaei. Meanwhile, proud parents Megan and Oliver tied the knot back in June. The couple had gotten engaged in June 2023 and had a fairytale wedding. Advertisement Their ceremony was held at the picturesque Grantley Hall in North Yorkshire. The former Towie star captioned a social media post: "Mr & Mrs Burke." Famous faces including Scarlett Mofatt, Jess Wright and Kelsey Parker sent their congratulations to them. 4 The former TOWIE star with her young son Credit: Rex
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm a celeb vet who's treated goldfish to alpacas, you see some crazy things & my wife has BARRED me from work habit
And the Wexford man has a warning for potential pet owners BARKING MAD I'm a celeb vet who's treated goldfish to alpacas, you see some crazy things & my wife has BARRED me from work habit FROM a childhood spent on a dairy farm to a career treating everything from goldfish to alpacas, celebrity vet Martin Breen has dedicated his life to animal care. And this year marks a major milestone for the 38-year-old from Wexford. 4 Martin, pictured with cat Banks, discovered his love for animals while working on the family farm 4 Martin said the job is very rewarding and 'every day is a school day' 4 Martin revealed how he got his start in the job He is celebrating 12 years as a practising vet at O'Shea, Bramley, and Breen's Veterinary Hospital. Revealing how his love for animals started, the dad-of-two told us: 'We had a family dairy farm in Murntown. "The local practice was Gubbins and O'Shea. When I was five and six down on the farm, they were out, and I was seeing a whole lot of vets over the years. "That's how I came to care for animals, and that led to me becoming a vet. 'I always liked being outdoors, and I always knew whatever job I ended up doing would have to be outdoors. "I had always loved animals, so I always knew it would be something outdoors and with animals. 'I originally wouldn't have gotten the points for veterinary starting off, but I went and studied animal science in UCD for four years. "My options were to go into research, industry, or do graduate-level veterinary.' Martin became one of only two Irish people to get accepted into the 30-person course, where only ten spots are kept for European students. He said: 'That was quite difficult, but I was delighted. INCREDIBLE moment hero vet staff save dog from choking on favourite toy 'I worked as a resident assistant up there, which provided the cost for accommodation. 'I graduated in June, and before I even had the chance to go on holiday, Richard phoned me and said, 'When are you wanting to start?' because that was one of the partners in the local practice where I am now. 'Because I had done practice there in TY, it seemed like the right thing to do. I knew the practice inside out, and the rest is history. 'Seeing that experience at that age, I really enjoyed it.' BEST THING ABOUT JOB Over more than a decade, Martin has treated pets big and small, from spiders to gold fish and alpacas. He revealed two of his favourite memories from the rewarding job. Martin explained: 'The best thing is the diversity of it. You never have the same day two days in a row. When you think you've seen everything, something else crops up. 'There's always something to challenge you, and we always say when you graduate from college, you think you know everything. Then, a few years later, you realise you know nothing. 'ALWAYS A SCHOOL DAY' 'It's always a school day. I've treated everything from goldfish to spiders, dogs, cats, sheep, alpacas. You don't know what will come through the door. 'I had a guy that was on holiday from Wales, and he had a fish hook stuck in his dog's mouth. There was a fishing line in its mouth. "A couple of years later, he rang our practice and asked to speak to me, and he said, 'I think there's something in my dog's nose.' I said, 'Hold on, are you not from Wales?' "He said, 'The local practice will charge me a fortune and take me to a specialist.' He said, 'I'll get the boat over.' So he brought the dog over on the boat, got a taxi up to the practice, and I couldn't believe it. I took a two or three inch piece of grass out of his nose. 'YOU SEE CRAZY THINGS' 'You see some crazy things. 'We had one lady who suffered really badly with depression, and the dog was her life. She said if the dog didn't bark at her to get up every day, she wouldn't get out of bed." He said: 'I remember when the dog got old and it was coming toward the end. "I rang the Wexford SPCA and said, 'Look, I need to get another Bichon,' and remarkably she managed to find a Bichon within a couple of days. "The woman was back in within a week with her new dog, so things like that are really rewarding.' 'The best thing is the diversity of it. You never have the same day two days in a row. When you think you've seen everything, something else crops up." Martin Breen Martin said that while such cases make his job a special one, he, along with animal owners, also faces major challenges. And he said potential pet owners should know what they are taking on before they bring a furry friend. He said: 'One of the challenges is that veterinary has got expensive. 'Sometimes people might not realise the expenses with it, but if you have dogs, cats coming in that need fluids or surgery, unfortunately, the costs rack up. INSURANCE IS ESSENTIAL "As a vet, you're very challenged sometimes when people might have limited money, and you're trying to think what's the most important fixing I can do without missing anything. 'That's become the most stressful part of it – when people can't afford it, and you're trying to work out payment plans. 'My main point to owners would be to try to get insurance out on your pets as quickly as you can. If you get a new pup or a kitten, the problem is if you take it out too late, lots of things are excluded.' Before he became a full-time vet, Martin starred on RTE's Junior Vets, a six-part fly-on-the-wall series documenting the lives of up-and-coming vets in their final year at UCD. SHOW TIME Having never experienced anything like it before, Martin said it took some getting used to. He explained: 'At the start, you're very conscious because you're constantly mic'd up. You can forget, then they cut and edit it to give you the best bits. 'We had some great fun looking at animals and through exam times. 'The whole experience was really good. They came down to my family farm and visited, so that was great fun, and we saw some lovely Clare countryside and met some lovely farmers along the way.' But since then, the 38-year-old is no longer camera shy and instead enjoyed the spotlight of TV3's Ireland AM, where he presented animal care segments. 'It's always a school day. I've treated everything from goldfish to spiders, dogs, cats, sheep, alpacas. You don't know what will come through the door." Martin Breen He told us: 'Recently, I was doing a slot on Morning Ireland. Before that, I had been doing a slot on the 6 O'Clock Show. 'That was really fun. We brought up kid goats to lambs to whatever pets we could get on set. 'I suppose the greater thing is, as life has got busier, the trip was an early morning slot, meaning you had to be up at five, and you're only there for ten minutes. 'It was lovely doing it, but at this stage, it's got a bit tricky, so I've had to put that on hold.' FULL FAMILY LIFE Martin said that life is busy enough with two children, Ottilie, three, and Alfie, two, while his wife, Katelyn, is expecting a new baby soon. He joked that she has 'barred me from taking home any more rescue animals' after he returned from work with two healthy cats that he refused to see put to sleep. Asked about the XL Bully ban, which came into effect earlier this year in Ireland, Martin said it's a difficult line to walk as both a vet and an animal lover. XL BULLY BAN The XL Bully ban began in the UK after a series of attacks by the giant dogs left people mauled and even killed. In June last year Nicole Morey, 23, was brutally attacked by her own pet dogs after celebrating her birthday at a house in Ballyneety, Co Limerick. And in November 2022, young Alejandro Miszan was left badly injured near his home in Enniscorthy, Wexford, by a loose XL Bully. Martin went on to work closely with the case, which left the family heartbroken. The ban, which came into effect in February, states that XL Bully and other bully-type dogs must be sent to the pound or destroyed if the owner does not have them properly registered and with a licence. 'TRICKY TOPIC' Martin said: 'It's a tricky topic because all dogs can't be tarnished with the same brush. "There are lots of healthy XL Bullies who are re-homed and had very responsible owners, but obviously, we were dealing very closely with the case in Enniscorthy where a young boy was attacked very badly, and obviously there were life-changing injuries. 'I don't think there's one answer that fits everything. I know people could apply for licences where they had to prove that the dog was being looked after correctly. 'It's a tricky one. What we see in practice is any breed has the potential to injure. "It was just with XL Bullies there was such a high proportion of life-changing injuries from this particular breed. 'I do know some cases where these Bullies are sent to shelters, and it costs the shelter a lot to feed them and keep them. "If they're there for six to eight months, dogs will start to develop behavioural issues rather than if they were in a family home because they're a breed who need a lot of exercise and stimulation.' CAREER ADVICE Finally, Martin revealed his advice for young people considering a career as a vet. With 12 years of experience under his belt, he said the key is to be certain it's a path you want to follow. Martin suggested: 'The first thing is to spend some time, even in secondary school. "It can be hard because veterinary practices are restricted in numbers they might take, but even from my experience, it is brilliant. "As vets, we think that TY students might not get to do a lot or see a lot, but it's amazing how much they can pick up and influence what they might do later in life from those few short weeks. 'It can make a massive difference. 'If you are thinking about veterinary, do some research. There are lots of areas – travelling abroad, working with different species. 'One thing about working in hours is the hours are long. You'll be doing nights and then back in the next day and working weekends. 'But it's a very rewarding job.'
