Lewis Capaldi performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP)
LONDON (AP) – Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi said Tuesday that he’s taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future as he seeks to adjust to the impact of Tourette syndrome.
His announcement follows his Saturday performance at the Glastonbury Festival where he appeared to lose his voice and the crowd carried him through his songs.
“First of all, thank you to Glastonbury for having me, for singing along when I needed it and for all the amazing messages afterwards,” he said in a statement.
“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 added.
Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes individuals to make involuntary sounds and movements, often referred to as tics. Capaldi revealed last September that he had been diagnosed with the condition.
Capaldi, 26, was due to perform in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday. His current tour, which would include venues in Australia, South Korea and Iceland among others, was due to climax In the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 7.
In his statement, Capaldi said he was “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 I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.”
In an interview with The Associated Press in April following the release of a Netflix documentary about the Grammy-nominated star, Capaldi said he was happy to have had his symptoms diagnosed. At the time, he said he was trying “not to learn too much” about Tourette’s because it would often make his condition feel even worse.
The documentary, entitled “How I’m Feeling Now,” shows the fear and anxiety that plagued Capaldi as he returned home to Scotland and tried to write new songs during the pandemic.
