Jeff Lynne issues update on BST Hyde Park performance after cancelling gig

Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) has issued an update ontheir BST Hyde Park show after cancelling their Manchester gig with just minutes to go.The rock band is still expected to perform in London.

Best known for their hit song Mr Blue Sky, the band was due to perform on Thursday night at Manchester’s Co-Op Live but cancelled at the last minute due to “illness”. It came days before their sold-out headline slot at the London music festival on Sunday, which has been described by the organisers astheir final “goodbye”.

A spokesperson for the festival organisers vowed that the concert was going ahead and said: “As reported, Jeff Lynne was unwell and unable to perform on Thursday 10th July.

“We are advised that there are currently no concerns with regards to Sunday’s performance.” Fans were left devastated earlier in the week when the show was cancelled just minutes before ELO were due to start.

A fan who was at the ELO gig a day before the cancelled show exclusively told The Mirror: “At the start of the set he came on and couldn’t play the guitar because he has injured his hand. He sounded shaky to begin with but his singing and energy picked up and was great until the last 10 minutes of the show.

“A chair was brought onto the stage and he had to sit down to sing the last few songs, he appeared to be unsteady on his feet at the end and was helped off the stage by staff. He really wasn’t well, it was obvious to fans at the gig he wasn’t himself and it is sad to see.”

Jeff took to X to an announce that the show had been cancelled "due to illness" and that he was "devastated" he could not perform.

"Unfortunately due to illness, tonight's scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne's ELO at the Co-op Live will not be going ahead. Jeff is devastated he cannot perform this evening," they said.

"More information will become available as soon as possible. For refunds please go to your point of purchase," the statement continued.

The band was founded in the 1970s in Birmingham by Jeff and keyboardist Roy Wood. He later left the band and was replaced by Richard Tandy, who performed until he died last year aged 76. The group split in 1986 and is known for fusing classical music, Beatles-style pop and futuristic rock visuals.

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and are best known for hits Livin’ Thing, Mr Blue Sky, Telephone Line and Evil Woman.

Jeff decided to reform the band in 2014 and they went on to release album From Out Of Nowhere in 2019. It went to number one in the UK charts, gaining the title alongside heir albums Discovery (1979), Time (1981) and their compilation album, All Over the World: The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra (2005).

Jeff was made an OBE in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours list for his services to music. He was also awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2015.

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