Elton John to Have Throat Surgery, Cancels ’87 Shows

SYDNEY, Australia —  Elton John, who had throat problems on his recent singing tour here, will undergo throat surgery and has canceled all 1987 performances, including a U.S. tour, his publicist said today.

Patti Mostyn, John’s promoter and close friend, said that beginning Monday the 39-year-old British rock singer will spend three to four days in a private Australian hospital for the operation by one of the country’s top throat specialists.

She said that John had seen four specialists in the past but that his throat problem was never diagnosed.

“They never came up with anything,” she said. “The surgery is exploratory only. It’s something that has to be rectified.”

The flamboyant entertainer canceled one concert in Perth last month, and collapsed on stage during a concert in Sydney toward the end of his grueling 27-date tour.