Sir Rod Stewart has addressed the backlash he faced after attending a World Cup match shortly after cancelling a gig due to health reasons. The 81-year-old singer scrapped a show 40 minutes before it was due to start but was seen cheering on Scotland at a Men's World Cup match the next day with his sons and wife.
Sir Rod Explains His Decision
Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT, Sir Rod said: 'No, I got an awful… I really shouldn't have gone to the Haiti game. You know, I had to cancel a show the night before because I just had no voice left.' He admitted it 'wasn't a good look' but wanted to go for his two sons, Alastair, 20, and Liam, 31, whom he didn't want to 'let down'.
He explained: 'I promised them since they were born that we were going to go to a World Cup. And this is the first one that's come about. And it wasn't a good look, I admit, but I'm going to have to just take the stick. So I did it for the boys.'
World Cup Appearance and Fan Reaction
The Maggie May hitmaker flew by private jet from California to Boston to attend the match, which saw Scotland clinch a 1-0 victory over Haiti – their first World Cup win in decades. He and his sons were cheering on the team, with two glasses of what appeared to be alcohol in front of him. At one point, he joined the boys in a chant of 'No Scotland, no party!', which further angered disappointed fans.
An official statement from his One Last Time farewell tour at the time explained that he had been diagnosed with laryngitis, reading: 'Rod Stewart very regretfully has had to cancel his show tonight in Chula Vista, California.' It continued: 'He travelled to the venue and made every effort to perform, but on the advice of this doctor, and following a diagnosis of an acute respiratory infection that has resulted in laryngitis, he is unable to take to the stage this evening.'
After the announcement, Sir Rod penned an apology to fans on social media, saying he was there in Chula Vista as the stage was dismantled. 'Following treatment, I am feeling better, but my voice is not,' the Glastonbury Legend shared, emphasising he did everything he could to make the show happen. The comments section was filled with fans expressing their dismay at his apparent tone deafness, with many claiming they had travelled hours for the cancelled gig.
Recent Health Scare Onstage
While he has now returned to the stage, he appeared unwell and was doubled over while performing at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah. He admirably carried on singing throughout that song before a three-person team came on after he gestured to the side of the stage to administer oxygen, talking him through it and holding him steady as he became unsure on his feet. Sir Rod, who maintains a vigorous touring schedule, later told the crowd he had 'nearly f**king fainted' but that 'the show must go on'.
