Sir Rod Stewart celebrates his 80th birthday today, after a worrying health update he gave fans over the summer. The music legend was was forced to cancel three shows in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Lincoln in California after being diagnosed with strep throat and testing positive for Covid over the space of a few days.
He revealed his health setback just hours before his landmark 200th show in Las Vegas. Expressing his disappointment at the time, he said: “I’m desperately sorry to miss this 200th show celebration. Most people can work with strep throat but obviously not me. I’m absolutely gutted.
“I’ve been looking forward to this concert for so long. My deepest regrets for any inconvenience this has caused. Thankfully we’ll now be returning in 2025 and I hope to see you all there.”
Rod quickly bounced back, however, and seems to have no plans to slow down. In November he told the Independent he would no longer play huge world tours, though added: “But I have no desire to retire. I love what I do, and I do what I love.
“I’m fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79.” The star is to play the famed legends slot at Glastonbury this summer.