Elvis Costello is recovering from successful cancer surgery. And he’s coming to Atlantic City this fall
Last week, the British songwriter canceled European shows. But his November tour of the U.S. is scheduled to go on.
Last week, Elvis Costello fans got a scare when the 63-year-old British songwriter canceled a series of European concert dates and announced that he had been treated for a "very aggressive cancerous malignancy."
On Monday, it was announced that Costello and his band the Imposters will play the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Nov. 3 as part of a month-long tour that will begin the night before at the Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem.
That might seem surprising, considering the worrisome news that was issued on Friday. But a careful reading of the statement that Costello issued last week makes it clear that the prolific "Pump it Up" songsmith was trying to tell the world that his cancer treatment went as well as he could have hoped — his specialist told him "he had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery."
>> READ MORE: Elvis Costello cancels tour dates after cancer surgery
Nonetheless, he was forced to cancel the European shows because he underestimated the amount of time he needed to recuperate. "The spirit has been more than willing, but I have to now accept that it is going to take longer than I would have wished for me to recover my full strength."
The current plan is that waiting till November to get back on the road will give the artist born Declan McManus enough time to gather his strength.
"The fall dates are on as planned," a Costello spokesperson said Monday. "He's recovering from successful surgery." Last week, Costello said that he and the Imposters and other music friends have made "a magnificent new record of which we are truly proud," which is due in October. "We will return at the soonest opportunity to play that music and your favorite songs that still make sense to us all," he added.
Tickets for the Hard Rock show at the casino's Etess Arena go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. at hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com and Ticketmaster.com.