Paul Simon Cancels Concerts Amid ‘Chronic and Intense’ Back Pain

Paul Simon’s Quiet Celebration tour has already played 40 concerts in 14 cities. However, it looks like health issues have forced the 83-year-old songwriter to cancel two shows. While Simon has been forthright about his hearing loss and how it’s affected his ability to produce and perform music, the current setback seems to be the singer’s back problems.

Simon is Hoping that Minor Surgery Quickly Resolves the Issue

On June 28, Paul Simon announced on his social media that he had to cancel two shows.

“Regretfully, Paul Simon must cancel two shows tonight June 28 and tomorrow night June 29 – at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music,” the statement read.

“Paul has been struggling with chronic and intense back pain. Today it became unmanageable and demands immediate attention.”

“Unfortunately we have to cancel these shows at this time, as we don’t have the ability to reschedule them,” it continued. “However, we are hopeful after this minor surgical procedure which has been scheduled in the next few days, Paul will be able to complete the tour as well as look into returning to make up these dates.”

“In the meantime please go to your point of purchase or local ticket provider for a full refund.”

After the Philadelphia shows, Simon has 15 more concerts scheduled for the remainder of the tour.

Paul Simon Surprised Fans With Tour Announcement After ‘SNL50’ Performance

Fans of Paul Simon were devastated when the singer announced in 2018 that he would no longer be touring. “I feel the travel and time away from my wife and family takes a toll that detracts from the joy of playing,” he wrote on X. He thanked those who had seen him perform over the past 50 years. He envisioned a future of “doing the occasional performance in a (hopefully) acoustically pristine hall.”

However, he continued to create music, even though he wasn’t traveling to promote it. In 2023, he released “Seven Psalms.” At the “SNL50: The Anniversary Show,” early this year, he played his 1966 hit “Homeward Bound” with Sabrina Carpenter. Whether it was already in the works or inspired by his collaboration with Carpenter, he announced that he would be going on the road again for the Quiet Celebration Tour.

The 20-stop tour began in April with a stop in New Orleans. Initially, there was a mix of excitement and concern due to Simon’s admitted hearing loss. But the singer had that figured out already. His crew collaborated with the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss. This ensured that the stage was adapted to accommodate his hearing needs.