Singer Rod Stewart, 78, has announced that he is canceling his performance at A Day on the Green Festival in Australia, citing a “viral infection” that made his “throat too irritated to sing”.
In a March 19th Instagram Story, he clarified that infection as strep throat. This comes after Stewart was forced to cancel multiple Australian tour dates in 2022, citing the “ongoing surge of COVID in Australia and the reimposition of entertainment venue capacity limits in several states.”
Though Stewart will likely recover and get back on the road soon, this is the latest in a series of devastating personal setbacks in the past year. In late 2022, Stewart lost both of his brothers, Don and Bob Stewart, in a two-month span. He has two surviving sisters, Peggy and Mary.
At the time of Bob’s passing, Stewart wrote, “It’s with great sadness that I announce the loss of my brother Bob last night, who joins my brother Don on the great football pitch in the sky. I’ve lost two of my best mates in the space of two months. RIP Don and Bob ‘irreplaceable buddies’.”
Stewart was close with both brothers, who were older than him and helped support him throughout his youth. At Mary’s 90th birthday, he told The Sun, “I’ve got to tell you, these guys were instrumental in supporting me, helping me get into music and just being there for me. Whether it was football or washing my dirty underpants, I can’t speak highly enough about these guys,” he said, adding that they have been “effing brilliant throughout my life.”
Sources:
Rod Stewart Announces Brother Bob’s Death ‘with Great Sadness’ (people.com)
Rod Stewart’s brothers died two months apart, singer says – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
Rod Stewart, 78, Cancels Show In Australia Due To Unknown Illness (msn.com)
Rod Stewart Cancels Concert Due to Illness: Details on Singer’s Condition and Recovery (yahoo.com)
