Paul Simon cancels concerts to undergo emergency surgery ahead of S.F. shows
'Paul has been struggling with chronic and intense back pain,' a statement shared to his Instagram account on Saturday, June 28 reads. 'Today it became unmanageable and demands immediate attention.'
Due to the pain, the 83-year-old scrapped appearances at Philadelphia's Academy of Music on Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29. He had already completed one of the three scheduled shows at the venue on Thursday, June 27.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee will now undergo a 'minor surgical procedure' in the coming days before proceeding with his A Quiet Celebration Tour, according to the statement.
Simon's next show is set for Long Beach on July 7. He is also scheduled for a three-night stint at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall on July 19 and 21-22.
Though he is unable to reschedule his missed Philadelphia dates immediately, he says he will look into making up the concerts in the future, according to the statement.
Full refunds are being offered to ticket holders.
The singer rose to fame in the 1960s as co-founder of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, with hits such as 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'The Sounds of Silence,' before launching his solo career in the '70s.
Simon's recent tour came as a surprise to many, after the musician indicated in 2018 that he was retiring from touring due to hearing loss. A year later, however, he performed a headlining set at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival.
To assist with live performances, Simon has worked with his production team and Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to adapt his stage setup with moving monitors to ensure optimal acoustics.
'I don't think creativity stops with disability,' Simon said in a November interview on 'CBS Mornings.' 'So far, I haven't experienced that. And I hope not to.'
Simon's A Quiet Celebration tour launched in New Orleans in early April and is scheduled to wrap up in August in Seattle.
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