Elton John has COVID, postpones U.S. tour dates

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - British singer and songwriter Elton John said he has COVID-19 and has been forced to postpone some U.S. concerts although his symptoms were mild and he expected to be able to resume his farewell tour at the weekend.

The singer of hits such as "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer" restarted his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour last week, returning to the stage in New Orleans after a nearly two-year hiatus.

John said he would reschedule the postponed shows in Dallas this week but was expecting to recover in time for concerts in Arkansas this weekend.

"I'm so sorry to anyone whose been inconvenienced by this but I want to keep myself and my team safe," he said in an Instagram story. "Fortunately, I'm fully vaccinated and boosted and my symptoms are mild."

Marking his retirement from performing on the road, John's global tour began in September 2018. Like other musicians he was forced to halt live shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September he announced he was pushing back the tour's European dates later in 2021 due to hip problems.

John, who has enjoyed a more than 50-year music career, is due to perform across North America until April. His tour will then take him to Europe and back to North America before playing in Australia and New Zealand next year.

He is scheduled to wrap up the tour in Europe in 2023. (Reporting by Alistair Smout Editing by William Schomberg)