logo
'Get well soon, Jeff' - the heartfelt message from fans of ELO's Lynne

'Get well soon, Jeff' - the heartfelt message from fans of ELO's Lynne

Lynne had to cancel a show at Manchester's Co-op Live on Thursday evening at short notice. In a message posted on X the band said the show had been cancelled "due to illness".
Though hugely disappointed, fans of the group took to social media in the hours after today's announcement to express sympathy for Lynne. Many simply said: "Get well soon, Jeff".
One fan, posting on the Jeff Lynne's ELO fan group on Facebook, said: "In honor of Jeff trying his best to put on a final show for us during his time of illness, I think we should all gather around the Hyde Park Rose Garden at 2 PM tomorrow to sing a few ELO songs. Maybe it could be something we all need right now. I'm sure Jeff would love our support too since he can't perform tomorrow".
Tomorrow's Hyde Park show, which was sold out, would have been a fitting swansong for the hugely successful group.
The 'Over and Out' tour saw them group play 27 dates in North America between August and October last year. The British leg was considerably smaller in scale. There were two nights in Lynne's native Birmingham last weekend, two in midweek in Manchester, one of which was cancelled, and Hyde Park tomorrow.
The set-list in Birmingham and Manchester was a glorious exploration of a superb catalogue of hit songs in all their pop/classics grandeur: Evil Woman, Showdown, 10538 Overture, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Can't Get It Out of my Head, Livin' Thing, Telephone Line, All Over the World and Turn to Stone among them.
People were travelling to Hyde Park from all over the world. One woman had flown from Melbourne, Australia. Others made their way from Finland and Denmark, from Argentina, the Netherlands, from France. Two next-door neighbours in a quiet street in Shieldhill, Falkirk, had, independently of each other, booked tickets. Many fans in London would have been seeing ELO for the umpteenth time; others for what would have simultaneously been the first and last time.
Various ELO tribute bands, who between them do a fine job of replicating Lynne's songs, paid tribute to him before news of the dual cancellations broke. One, the ELO Experience, sent via Facebook their best wishes to Lynne 'and all of his team' for the farewell tour.
The post continued: 'Have a great set of shows and to everyone attending, treasure this time, as one of, if not, the greatest song writers and performers of all time is taking his final touring bow. Thank you for everything Jeff'.
Lynne caused a minor stir in Birmingham last Saturday when he took to the stage despite having a broken hand, sustained during a taxi crash in London. 'I've had a guitar in my hand all my life but not tonight', he told the audience at the Utilita Arena, insisting that 'nothing would keep me away from you'.
Jeff Lynne's songwriting abilities had been evident from his earliest days as part of a Birmingham group, The Idle Race, before accepting, in 1970, Roy Wood's invitation to join him and drummer Bev Bevan in The Move, who had enjoyed chart success with I Can Hear the Grass Grow, Blackberry Way, Flowers in the Rain and Fire Brigade.
'We stayed as The Move for a couple of years while we made this album, Electric Light Orchestra, which was what we'd decided to call it when me and Roy used to hang out at clubs in Birmingham and discussed this group with strings', Lynne told a 2012 BBC documentary, Mr Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO.
Music writer Mark Beaumont, in an article about ELO in a recent magazine publication, Ultimate Genre Guide: Soft Rock, describes how Wood and Lynne saw different chamber-rock possibilities in the Beatles' classic, Eleanor Rigby.
Lynne, he writes, 'particularly would take the orchestral tendencies of late-60s Beatles and Beach Boys and focus them into sci-fi melodies designed to dominate all earthly radio waves.'Electric Light Orchestra would come to represent the greatest sonic excesses of the soft-rock era, but they also brilliantly realised the logical endpoint of a journey begun by 'A Day in the Life' and Brian Wilson's teenage symphonies to God. [John] Lennon himself would describe them as 'Son of Beatles'.'
Beaumont notes that as The Move gradually wound down, it became something of a shell company for ELO. ELO's debut album, The Electric Light Orchestra, was released in 1971, opened with 10538 Overture and showed the full extent of Wood and Lynne's musical ambitions.
Wood, however, 'frustrated that his strings were inaudible during live shows', departed in 1973 to launch his latest project, Wizzard. This left Lynne as the sole producer and songwriter.
The next albums came at a steady pace, all of them bearing Lynne's distinctively melodic stamp: ELO2 and On the Third Day in 1973, Eldorado in 1974, Face the Music in 1975, A New World Record in 1976, and the ambitious double album, Out of the Blue, in 1977. Eldorado breached the Top 20 in the States.
A New World Record and Out of the Blue went Top 10 in the UK. Along the way there was a constant stream of captivating, bestselling singles: Roll Over Beethoven, Showdown, Ma-Ma-Belle, Evil Woman, Strange Magic, Livin' Thing, Telephone Line.
Reviewing an ELO concert in Madison Square Garden in 1977, a New York Times critic observed: 'The Electric Light Orchestra... is the most commercially successful of the classical rockers at the moment, and it's easy enough to hear why. The secret is that [it] incorporates its classical elements in as painless a manner as possible.'
Read more:
Comeback concert for ELO frontman
Obituary: Kelly Groucutt
Paying tribute to the Eagles, Taylor Swift, Radiohead - and ELO
War of the Worlds Review: Spaceships shooting flames at the audience. What more could you want?
Obituary: Carl Wayne
In 1978, the year after the ten-million-selling Out of the Blue, Lynne was interviewed by Melody Maker. The question was put to him: ELO has always thought in grand ideas. Was he finding it hard to come up with the goods? 'Not at all', he responded. 'I'm just eternally grateful that I can go into the studios and that people say 'There's a studio. Do what you want.' I mean. I find that f – unbelievable. We've done eight albums now and I just feel completely happy about everything.
'I don't find the inspiration harder to come by. Quite the opposite. I'm getting more excited now about this new album – the one we'll do next year – than anything I've ever done. I just want to get into the studio and do it, mix it and put everything down. I just love being in a recording studio. Absolutely love it. That's my forte, recording things. It's a great and exciting thing to do'.
The next album, Discovery (1979) saw the band embracing the disco sound that was then in vogue but nevertheless gave them their first UK number one album.
The band's sound evolved further in the Eighties, with such albums as Time, Secret Messages and Balance of Power. Time (1981), described by at least one critic as the band's best album in years, was a concept record about time-travel, and emulated Discovery in its UK chart position.
A fair-minded assessment in The Quietus online culture site in 2021, by David Bennun, described Time as 'a terrific, eccentric sci-fi electro/synth-pop album' - the headline said it was ELO's forgotten masterpiece - and wondered why Lynne had tended to overlook its songs when putting together concert set-lists.
ELO broke up in 1986 and apart from a brief flourish in 2000-2001 remained dormant until reforming as Jeff Lynne's ELO in 2014. Lynne had in the meantime joined the Travelling Wilburys supergroup with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison and Roy Orbison, and also produced albums for Harrison, amongst others. Harrison's son Dhani, incidentally, was to have been one of the support acts at Hyde Park tomorrow, alongside Steve Winwood and the Doobie Brothers.
Lynne was made an OBE in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2015. The band were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017.
Had things worked out as planned, the final notes of the ELO classic, Mr Blue Sky, would have sent some 60,000 fans home happy at roughly 10.20pm tomorrow night. Sadly, it was not to be. "The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff's mind today – and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time", read the BST statement. Ticket holders will now be refunded.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'I'm a French expat in Britain and I was left amazed by one element of UK culture'
'I'm a French expat in Britain and I was left amazed by one element of UK culture'

Daily Mirror

time25 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

'I'm a French expat in Britain and I was left amazed by one element of UK culture'

Stéphane Jouin, who moved to the UK nine years ago, shared the revelation in a video for his YouTube channel, 'A French guy in England', which showcases the two nations' "cultural quirks" A French expat living in the UK has named a particular aspect of British culture that's left him "amazed". Stéphane Jouin, who swapped France for the UK nine years ago, divulged his findings on his YouTube channel ' A French guy in England ', which delves into the "cultural quirks" of both countries. ‌ In his video, '6 Things I Really Appreciate as a French Guy in England', Stéphane shared his observations from nearly a decade in Britain, touching on aspects such as our politeness and tendency to be "merciful". ‌ Among these UK insights, he highlighted his admiration for the British propensity for kindness, a trait he finds "amazing" and notes is even promoted by companies and organisations here. Stéphane expressed: "Number two is that people tend to be kind." ‌ He elaborated: "I'm actually amazed that people are generally ready to help. For example, if you're stranded with your car on the road, and your bonnet is open - they call it 'hood' in the USA - they will come to ask you if you are okay, if you need any help. I find this amazing." Stéphane added that acts of kindness are "part of everyday life here." He also pointed out that the UK is home to many charities that support people suffering from health issues. ‌ He pointed out that British firms and groups are known for rallying people to join events they organise to raise money for charitable causes. On the flip side, in May, a Brit living in France took to TikTok to share five reasons why life across the Channel is "better." The expat, known as Alex or "It's moi" on the platform, presented her "household edition" of insights. First up was the revelation that people in France tend not to have their washing machines in the kitchen, instead opting for the bathroom or elsewhere, meaning you "don't have the eyesore or the noise" in the kitchen. ‌ But there's more; Alex also highlighted the convenience of having plug sockets in the bathroom, "square-shaped" pillows for extra headroom, and shutters on every window. Alex said: "You don't have to worry about blackout blinds or blackout curtains if you want to make the room dark. You just close the shutters, which is absolutely fantastic when you have children." ‌ Finally, Alex claimed that a "lot of the houses around here" tended to be detached rather than semi-detached. She said they didn't have to worry about any "potential noise problems" from neighbours. However, not everyone saw things the same way, with one commenting: "I'd hate to have a washing machine in my bathroom." Some did agree with the TikToker, with one claiming that once you try using a square pillow, there's "no going back".

Formula E champion Oliver Rowland talks Ibiza trip, Max Verstappen friendship and being a girl dad
Formula E champion Oliver Rowland talks Ibiza trip, Max Verstappen friendship and being a girl dad

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Formula E champion Oliver Rowland talks Ibiza trip, Max Verstappen friendship and being a girl dad

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OLIVER ROWLAND will treat his Nissan team to a knees up in Ibiza after the season finale in London. The Barnsley-born 32-year-old was crowned Formula E world champion in Berlin last time out. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Oliver Rowland celebrated his maiden Formula E win with four-year-old daughter Harper at Legoland Credit: Getty 4 Harper congratulated her dad on the team radio when he sealed the championship in Berlin Credit: Getty 4 Oliver Rowland won his maiden Formula E world title in Berlin Credit: Getty 4 Rowland plans to treat his Nissan team to a celebratory holiday in Ibiza Credit: Getty Rowland was reduced to tears on his final lap and his four-year-old daughter Harper said on the team radio: 'Daddy, you're the world champion!' The British driver secured four wins and seven podiums with his team this season and it was his first championship in seven seasons in Formula E. Rowland isn't one for the glitz and glamour of motor-sport, and is quiet off the track, preferring to do his talking in the car. He has spent the past week celebrating his title by spending quality time with Harper and his wife Lauren. They even took a trip to Legoland where Rowland couldn't help coach his daughter on the smaller cars, although she was too young to get her driver's license. He said: "It was my daughter's birthday last Tuesday, so I spent the full day at Legoland celebrating I was absolutely knackered by the end of the day! "She wasn't tall enough to get her driver's license but she went on the baby cars and I was asking her to get her head down like they do in go karts it was so funny." Rowland has been known to celebrate his wins with a "few beers" this season, but he will be taking that up a notch with a team trip to Ibiza after this weekend's final race in London. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS He added: "Since we're so close to City airport and all in London together I decided to invite all the engineers away with me. "I just thought it was something different and nice to do for them. Let them have a nice two or three days. Glamorous TikToker Bianca Bustamante gives behind-the-scenes look at a Formula E race week "I wanted to appreciate all the work that the whole team does and it was a gesture to show my appreciation. We can have a bit of fun together." Rowland has a presence in F1, and has been with Alpine for 10-years helping with testing. He also enjoyed a short stint as a junior driver for Williams in 2018. He still has a presence in the sport, mentoring F1 prospect and Red Bull junior driver, Arvid Lindblad. And is good pals with four-time world champion Max Verstappen who wished him luck ahead of Berlin. Rowland added: "He sent me a message on on Saturday night, telling me to score points and calm down a little bit, "Then on Sunday, he told me, well done so yeah, it was really nice for him, because I was feeling pretty down after Saturday's mistake and he reached out. "Just said 'yeah look, you got this, you're doing a good job'." Rowland's most treasured congratulatory message remains from his daughter Harper though. Being a 'girl dad' is his biggest achievement and wife Lauren is pregnant with baby number 2. He added: "At the beginning I always wanted to have a boy but another girl like Harper would be super cute."

I saw Prince Harry's rude side in Malawi – he was a patronising idiot and even his team were LIVID, expert slams
I saw Prince Harry's rude side in Malawi – he was a patronising idiot and even his team were LIVID, expert slams

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

I saw Prince Harry's rude side in Malawi – he was a patronising idiot and even his team were LIVID, expert slams

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A ROYAL expert claimed she saw Prince Harry's rude side while on a trip to Malawi and he was a "patronising" idiot. Sky News royal editor Rhiannon Mills made the comments while appearing on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Prince Harry arrives at the Nalikule College of Education to learn about the CAMA network and how it is supporting young women in Malawi in 2019 Credit: AP:Associated Press 5 The Duke of Sussex meets British soldiers at the memorial site for Guardsman Mathew Talbot of the Coldstream Guards at the Liwonde National Park in Malawi, 2019 Credit: PA:Press Association 5 Harry appeared annoyed when he was asked an unscheduled question about the visit In 2019, footage emerged of Prince Harry scolding her for asking a question hours before he released an extraordinary rant about the media. Harry had invited the media as he visited a health clinic in a remote village in Malawi as part of the Sussexes' African tour. He talked to health officials and children suffering from malaria and Aids before being ushered to a waiting vehicle by palace officials. But Harry appeared annoyed when he was asked an unscheduled question about the visit as he was whisked away. Rhiannon told The Sun's Matt Wilkinson that she'd had a good working relationship with the prince previously, but this time "he got very grumpy". She said: "New Zealand was classic Harry. "I did this interview with him, he said 'I'd love to have kids right now'. "We had this really good rapport. It wasn't a friendship, it was friendliness, but he was always really helpful." So when she asked him a question in Malawi, she was shocked at his response. "Fast forward to the South Africa trip, which was sort of seen as quite make or break for them, because they'd had some negative headlines over the holidays. And actually that trip was going really well. "We were flying around in these little planes with him. "We were in Malawi and I was a bit under the cosh because I had to do kind of a special to end off the week. "So as he was about to walk past me, I thought, right, I'll do what I've done over the years. I'll just ask him a quick question. We've all done it, the dreaded doorstep. "It was a terrible question. It was a rubbish question. I just sort of said, 'oh, why is it so important for you to come here?' "And he looked at me and said 'oh, well just go and ask those people over there'. And I probably inside thought, hang on a minute, I'm not gonna leave this one. "I said, well, is that why it's so important for you to come here? And then he turned around and just said, 'Rhiannon, don't behave like that'. "And then got in his car and drove off. I felt like I'd looked like an idiot. "He looked really patronising. Nobody came out of it looking good." She added: "Anyway, it all blew up with his team. They were livid. "And then it was when we got back to Johannesburg and it was in that evening that that letter dropped, the 10 paragraph letter, accusing the Royal Press Pack of everything under the sun and saying that 'we're gonna sue the Mail on Sunday'. "So immediately I just realised, I frankly kicked the bear and I just didn't realise it at the time." The Duke of Sussex released the unprecedented statement on his personal website, complaining of 'relentless propaganda' against his wife Meghan Markle. He went on to announce the couple are launching legal action against the Mail on Sunday newspaper, which published extracts of a letter written by Meghan to her father Thomas Markle. 5 The Duke of Sussex takes part in a discussion with young people during a visit to the Mauwa Health Centre in Blantyre, Malawi, on day nine of the Royal tour of Africa Credit: PA:Press Association

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store