“Jeff is heartbroken to report that he will not be able to perform”: Jeff Lynne’s ELO cancel last ever show

Jeff Lynne’s ELO have cancelled their last ever show.

The band were due to play London’s Hyde Park on Sunday July 13, but the concert was cancelled with 24 hours notice. There are no plans to reschedule the show.

In a statement, the band said: “Jeff Lynne is heartbroken to report that he will not be able to perform at tomorrow’s BST Hyde Park show.

“Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors who have advised him that performing is simply not possible at this time nor will he be able to reschedule.

“The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff’s mind today -- and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time.”

The band had previously cancelled their penultimate show at Manchester’s Co Op Live on July 12 minutes before showtime, with the audience already in their seats.

According to fans who attended the first of the two scheduled shows in Manchester, the 77-year-old Lynne, who reportedly broke his hand in a collision with a taxi before the band's final run of dates, struggled to perform.

The Hyde Park show was due to bring the curtain down on a career that began 55 years ago, after Lynne formed Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) with The Move bandmate Roy Wood.

After Wood left ELO 1972 during sessions for their second album, Lynne assumed leadership of the band. A run of successful albums followed, including A New World Record (1976), Out Of The Blue (1977) and Time (1980).

Lynne disbanded ELO in 1986, briefly reuniting the band in 2000, releasing a new album, Zoom, their first in 14 years. They made a comeback under the name Jeff Lynne’s ELO in 2014. releasing a new album, Alone In The Universe in 2015. It was followed by another new album, From Out Of Nowhere, followed in 2019.