Elton John abruptly cancels show 20 minutes after it was meant to start due to ear infection
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Elton John landed himself in hot water with his Florida fans for canceling a concert without notice — the announcement came actually 20 minutes after the show was supposed to start.
On Tuesday, the 71-year-old singer was forced to call off his performance at the Orlando Amway Center due to an ear infection, the center announced on Twitter, Orlando Sentinel reported.
"The rescheduled Orlando date, a stop on Elton's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, will be announced in the near future so please hold onto your tickets," Amway Center tweeted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But fans who had spent a pretty penny to see Sir Elton John's farewell tour were extremely frustrated with the news.
"I first thought it was a joke, some kind of pre-concert joke and then was in shock," Tampa native Rob Remy told the Sentinel. “We just hope it gets rescheduled so we can see him. We're just big fans.”
Concert-goer Kelly Krupinski told the paper, “We thought it was a joke, we didn't think it was real. So did the people behind us.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Krupinkski's parents, Carol and John Krupinski, joined their daughter for the sold-out show, all the way from Jacksonville.
“I want my $20 back for parking, but I’m pretty sure they’re not going to do that,” Carol Krupinski added.
Other angry fans took to Twitter to voice their grievances.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When you splurge on the first post-baby date night only to get stood up by Elton John," one user tweeted.
Another fan included a crying photo of her disappointed son in her tweet about the canceled show and said, "#EltonJohn I can’t believe you canceled an "8pm concert at 8.25pm. No-one could have called that earlier? Seriously? Unbelievable. My 8 year old mega fan is devastated."
After receiving a flood of fan backlash from the cancelation of the show, the "Tiny Dancer" singer released a statement on Twitter saying he was "sincerely sorry" for the sudden shut down.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are sincerely sorry to everyone due to attend the shows in Orlando last night and Tampa tonight," the statement began. "Elton has been on a course of antibiotics to combat an ear infection and it was expected that these would clear the infection in time to play the Orlando show."
The statement continued, "Elton and his band play 100% live and with impaired hearing and ear pain he wouldn't have been able to deliver the performance his fans deserve. He will take a couple of days rest to allow the infection to clear up and both will be rescheduled as soon as possible."
John broke the news that he would be retiring from tour life at the beginning of the year. The singer announced that he would embark on the three-year farewell tour to give his devoted fans once last chance to see the "Rocket Man" in action.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's the last time that I will be touring because my priorities have changed in my life," John told Anderson Cooper during the live announcement for his tour in New York City this past January.
The legendary singer and father of two officially kicked off his final world tour in September.
"I've been so incredibly lucky [but] my life has changed, the priorities in my life have changed. My priorities now are my children, my husband and my family," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Though the singer will end his touring career at the end of the three years, he clarified that he will not stop being creative.
"I will be creative hopefully up until the day I die," he said.
At the time, John also slammed rumors that his health had anything to do with his retirement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.