Elton John has been forced to cancel several of his upcoming Las Vegas performances after being hospitalized following his tour of South America. The singer had to undergo treatment for an illness that could have been lethal after his flight home from Chile ended in disaster.

Elton John at 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar PartyElton John at 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

The 70-year-old singer had a number of dates lined up for his Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace entitled 'The Million Dollar Piano', but those will have to be rescheduled as he recovers from his recent hospital stay. He was in intensive care for two days after contracting a potentially life-threatening infection.

'During a recent, successful tour of South America, Elton contracted a harmful and unusual bacterial infection', Elton's rep told People in a statement yesterday (April 24th 2017). 'During his return flight home from Santiago, Chile, he became violently ill. Upon returning to the U.K., Elton's doctors admitted him to hospital, where he underwent immediate treatment to remove the infection.'

Elton was released from hospital on Saturday (April 22nd 2017), but is now taking medical advice and resting up at home for a few weeks. 'Infections of this nature are rare and potentially deadly', the rep continued. 'Thankfully, Elton's medical team identified this quickly and treated it successfully. He is expected to make a full and complete recovery.'

Not only will the Las Vegas shows have to be rescheduled, but also a performance in Bakersfield, California on May 6th. His UK and Europe dates will go ahead as planned this summer, kicking off at The Twickenham Stoop in London on June 3rd.

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'I am so fortunate to have the most incredible and loyal fans and apologise for disappointing them', Elton said in his own statement. 'I am extremely grateful to the medical team for their excellence in looking after me so well.'

Elton is also expected to hit Australia in September and will also play Autism Rocks Fest at 117 Live Amphitheatre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on December 8th.