Elton John Hospitalized, Will Go Home in 24 Hours

Elton John performs "Ahoy Rotterdam" concert. (Bauer Griffin)more pics »Singer Elton John is reportedly getting better after contracting E.Coli and a severe bout of the flu, and he's hoping to start touring again in two weeks. Elton canceled a number of upcoming shows because of his illness. His spokesperson said: “He is recovering from a case of serious influenza with minor complications. We are confident he will be back on stage in the near future. He doesn’t like letting his fans down. But he had to this time.”

Elton John and David Furnish (Getty)
However, while the 62-year-old star is planning to rejoin Billy Joel for their joint tour on November 14, friends of the singer warn he may be out of action for a longer period. One pal said: “The feeling is Elton will be out of action for four weeks. His voice has temporarily gone and he has been having severe coughing bouts, so there is no way he can play concerts for a while.”

Elton has been ill for two weeks, but his condition worsened and he was taken into an elite London hospital on Friday for tests. Elton’s partner David Furnish spent much of the weekend by his bedside and was quick to reassure fans of their idol’s health. As he left the hospital on Saturday, he said of Elton’s condition: “He's OK, he's fine.”

Elton was fitted with a pacemaker in 1999 after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. He also has a history of problems with alcohol and drugs, but has been sober and clean for almost 20 years.

More pictures of Elton John (click any photo):

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•