Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne has cancelled what was billed as his final ever performance owing to a “systemic infection”, leaving fans heartbroken at the end of the band’s 55-year journey. The 77-year-old was due to headline BST Hyde Park on Sunday night, closing the farewell “Over and Out” tour.
BST Hyde Park confirmed the entire Sunday event would be cancelled, affecting not only Lynne but also scheduled performers Steve Winwood and the Doobie Brothers. All ticket holders will receive full refunds, with organisers stating the concert cannot be rescheduled.
The cancellation marks a poignant end to a troubled final tour that saw Lynne performing with a broken wrist and battling health issues throughout.
Medical Crisis Forces Cancellation
A statement from BST Hyde Park revealed the severity of Lynne’s condition, confirming he was under intensive medical care and unable to perform or reschedule the historic show.
“Jeff Lynne is heartbroken to report that he will not be able to perform at tomorrow’s BST Hyde Park show,” the statement read. “Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors who have advised him that performing is simply not possible at this time nor will he be able to reschedule.”
The organisers emphasised the significance of the moment for Lynne: “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.
BST Hyde Park later confirmed the complete cancellation: “Following the news that Jeff Lynne’s ELO will not be able to perform at BST Hyde Park due to medical reasons, Sunday 13 July’s event will sadly be cancelled.
Final Tour Plagued by Health Issues
The Hyde Park cancellation came just days after Lynne was forced to axe his penultimate concert at Manchester’s Co-op Live venue on Thursday, with thousands of fans already seated when the announcement came at 8.15pm – just minutes before the scheduled start time.
The farewell tour had already encountered difficulties when Lynne suffered a broken wrist in a taxi accident in London. During his Birmingham hometown performance a week ago, he addressed the crowd about his injury.
“I’ve had a guitar in my hand my entire life, but not tonight,” he told the audience. “But nothing could keep me away from you,” he added, offering his trademark thumbs-up gesture with both hands.
One fan who attended the Birmingham show reported concerning signs, noting that stage crew had to bring Lynne a chair as he appeared to be struggling. “By the end of the concert, the band had to sing Mr Blue Sky for him and his backing singers looked visibly shaken up,” the attendee revealed.
Hyde Park’s Special Significance
The cancellation is particularly devastating as Lynne had specifically chosen Hyde Park as the venue for ELO’s final performance, citing its deep personal significance to his career.
“My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014,” Lynne had said when announcing the farewell show. “It seems like the perfect place to do our final show. We couldn’t be more excited to share this special night in London with our UK fans. As the song goes, ‘We’re gonna do it One More Time!'”
The 2014 Hyde Park concert marked ELO’s first festival performance in 30 years and served as the catalyst for Lynne’s return to touring after decades away from the stage. The venue held such importance that he saved it for his career’s final bow.
End of an Era
If Lynne does not perform live again, it brings the curtain down on a remarkable career spanning more than five decades. ELO was founded in Birmingham in 1970 by Lynne, drummer Bev Bevan and vocalist Roy Wood, with the vision of creating rock music that incorporated classical instruments.
The band achieved massive commercial success, producing hits including “Mr. Blue Sky”, “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “Evil Woman”, “Livin’ Thing” and “Telephone Line”. They scored 27 Top 40 songs on the UK Singles Chart between 1972 and 1986, selling over 50 million records worldwide.
The original incarnation of ELO split in 1986, with Lynne citing loss of interest. Bevan subsequently formed his own group, ELO Part II. Apart from a brief reunion in 2001, Lynne did not perform as ELO again until 2014.
Final Original Member
The tour carried additional poignancy as Lynne was performing as the last surviving original member of the classic ELO lineup. Longtime keyboardist Richard Tandy, who had been with the band since 1971 and was instrumental in creating their signature sound, died in May 2024 at age 76.
Lynne paid tribute to Tandy at the time, calling him “a remarkable musician and friend. Tandy had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Lynne, Wood and Bevan in 2017.
When reforming the band in 2014 as Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra, Lynne brought back only Tandy from the original lineup. “Richard is my lifetime man in the group,” Lynne explained in a 2015 interview. “He’d be in the studio with me when other people wouldn’t be.”
Tour’s Supporting Acts Also Affected
The cancellation affected not only ELO fans but also those anticipating performances from the stellar supporting lineup. Steve Winwood, the Doobie Brothers and Dhani Harrison were all scheduled to perform, along with W.H. Lung, Cats In Space, High Fade, Neckbreakers, Bobbie Dazzle and Bec O’Malley.
The show was set to be a celebration of British rock history, with Winwood’s Traffic and solo catalogue complementing ELO’s symphonic rock perfectly. George Harrison’s son Dhani was also scheduled to perform, maintaining the Beatles connection that had always influenced Lynne’s work.
As fans process the disappointment of missing this historic farewell, the focus remains on Lynne’s health and recovery. The man who gave the world some of rock’s most enduring anthems deserves the chance to heal, even if it means his final performance came unexpectedly in Birmingham rather than the planned spectacular send-off at Hyde Park.
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Image Credit:
Jeff Lynne’s ELO live at the Genting Arena, NEC – 17 April 2016 – Image by Steve Glover, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
