Lewis Capaldi has announced he’ll be taking a step back from live performances after struggling with health challenges during his 2023 Glastonbury Festival performance.
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During his Saturday (June 24) set at the annual UK music festival, when Lewis struggled to finish singing “Someone You Loved,” his loyal and loving fans took the reigns and helped him close out the song by lending their own voices, which had Capaldi visibly moved by the audience’s support.
The difficult yet heartfelt performance comes in the midst of Capaldi’s battle with Tourette syndrome, a condition that causes involuntary body movements and vocal outbursts.
Maintaining his open rapport with the public about his health and mental health struggles, Lewis took to social media to share a message with his fans in which he revealed that after canceling all shows leading up to Glastonbury, he’d be taking an additional break for the “foreseeable future” to focus on mental and physical health.
“Thank you to Glastonbury for having me, for singing along when I needed it and for all the amazing messages afterwards. It really does mean the world,” the singer started out his message.
“The fact that this probably won’t come as a surprise doesn’t make it any easier to write, but I’m very sorry to let you know I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future,” he continued. “I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I’d hoped 3 weeks away would sort me out. But the truth is I’m still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order so that I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.”
After acknowledging that he's "incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can't," and thanking his "amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who've been so supportive every step of the way,” the Scottish singer went on to apologize to fans who had planned to see him this year.
“I need to feel well to perform at the standard you deserve,” he expressed. “Playing for you every night is all I’ve ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.”
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Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.