Rock star Rod Stewart was slammed by fans for attending Scotland’s FIFA World Cup match in Boston less than a day after canceling a concert in California due to health issues. The 81-year-old singer called off his scheduled concert at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, California near San Diego just 40 minutes ahead of the show’s start time.
Health Issues
In a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the event’s producer Live Nation explained that the concert was canceled because Stewart had a recurrence of a sinus infection. However, Stewart’s team later told the outlet that the Grammy Award winner was suffering from an acute upper respiratory infection that led to laryngitis.
Stewart apologized for the cancelation in posts that he shared to his Instagram Stories on Friday night, including a photo of himself on the empty Chula Vista stage while crew members dismantled the concert set around him. “Well, here I am in beautiful Chula Vista as the stage is being taken down around me. Following treatment, I’m feeling much better, but my voice is not,” he wrote.
World Cup Appearance
On Saturday, Stewart shared a video in which he was seen on his private jet with his sons Liam, 31 and Alastair, 20. The video showed Stewart and his sons heading to Boston to watch Scotland play in the World Cup. The “Maggie May” hitmaker was later seen with his sons as they watched the match from the stands at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Stewart’s video and appearance at the match sparked backlash with some fans venting their outrage in the comments section of his post. “This feels rather disingenuous, especially after your cancellation last night. Too ill to perform but okay to fly across the country for soccer?” wrote one Instagram user.
However, others came to Stewart’s defense, noting that his illness affected his voice, not necessarily his ability to travel. “Get a grip people,” one fan wrote. “I know it’s disappointing and frustrating when someone cancels a show but that doesn’t mean their life, especially with their family, also stops.”
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
