88-Year-Old Tony Bennett Cancels UK Concert Due to Illness

Showbiz411's Roger Friedman reports that Tony Bennett was forced to cancel last night's concert with Lady Gaga at Royal Albert Hall in London due to the flu. The 88-year-old crooner reportedly collapsed at yesterday's soundcheck.

Bennett, well known for never canceling a show, was to appear at the second of two sold-out shows along with his Cheek-to-Cheek collaborator Lady Gaga. The singer turned to Twitter to apologize to his fans for the cancellation, posting, "Sorry to not be singing in London tonight. I love my fans in the UK and appreciate all the well wishes to get over this flu quickly."

Later, Gaga herself tweeted: "Hey everybody! Don't worry about Tony, he's ok! That's just showbiz sometimes. We'll catch u next time, we got you!"

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's Cheek To Cheek was released in September 2014 and instantly secured its place as a favorite of fans and critics alike, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, Jazz Albums, and Traditional Jazz Albums charts. The astounding musical collaboration pays homage to tunes from the Great American Songbook composed by jazz LEGENDS like George Gershwin, Cole Porter,Jerome Kern, and Irving Berlin.

Some of these timeless songs include "But Beautiful," "I Won't Dance," "Nature Boy," "Anything Goes," and "I Can't Give You Anything but Love." The record has been praised for effectively highlighting the chemistry between the two artists, who span 60 years in age. Its unprecedented success makes Bennett the oldest artist to have a #1 album on the Billboard charts and marks Lady Gaga's third consecutive #1 release in the last few years.

Photo courtesy of Twitter/Tony Bennett