Music icons from Madonna to Justin Bieber who chose their health over career

Of late, many music idols have stepped forward to declare that their health is top priority. Recently, Madonna chose to reschedule her impending tour due to a near-fatal bacterial infection. Others stars such as Ozzy Osbourne, Céline Dion, Justin Bieber, and Shawn Mendes have also been compelled to cancel or postpone their highly anticipated tours due to health challenges and concerns. Here’s a look at all those who took this tough call.

The Queen of Pop, Madonna, was scheduled to kick off her 'Celebration World Tour' in Vancouver on July 14, 2023. However, her manager, Guy Oseary, shared a statement on social media, revealing that Madonna had developed a serious bacterial infection, leading to her admission to the ICU for several days. While her health is improving and a full recovery is expected, all commitments, including the tour, have been paused for the time being.

Céline Dion, known for her powerful vocals, had to cancel the remaining shows for the European leg of her Courage World Tour. She revealed to her fans in May 2023 that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome, which has left her not strong enough to continue touring. Dion expressed her deep remorse in disappointing her fans and emphasized her commitment to regaining her strength and returning to the stage in the future.

The legendary rock icon, Ozzy Osbourne, has also had to withdraw from performing at the Power Trip festival in October this year. He recently announced on Instagram that his body is not yet ready for the stage, despite his optimistic plans to return in 2024. Osbourne's decision comes after canceling his already postponed farewell tour, No More Tours II, due to a severe injury sustained in a fall at his home in 2019. The injury continues to trouble him.

Justin Bieber, an international pop sensation, recently encountered a health setback, dealing with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which resulted in facial paralysis. In an Instagram post, Bieber shared his decision to prioritise his health and postpone the US dates for his Justice tour due to exhaustion and the need to focus on his well-being. He was scheduled to perform in the UAE too, but had to call it off due to health concerns.

Shawn Mendes, who captivated audiences with his 'Wonder' world tour, made the challenging decision to put the tour on hold after just seven shows. The young singer revealed concerns for his mental health, citing the toll of being on the road since his early teenage years and the strain of being away from loved ones. Mendes expressed the need to heal and prioritise his mental well-being with the support of his team and health professionals.

In 2016, Selena Gomez announced that she was cancelling 34 tour shows. Millions of fans were left disappointed when the Revival World Tour shows were cancelled. Gomez, who has been open about her struggle with lupus which she was diagnosed with in 2015, took a break to deal with her mental health struggles. The star was suffering from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks - all of which are symptoms of the auto-immune condition.

Ariana Grande announced in 2017 that she had been 'advised not to perform' by her doctor and that she was cancelling her Dangerous Woman tour show in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The singer apologised to fans citing 'health problems' for the cancellation.

In 2017, Lady Gaga canceled a show in Montreal after she became ill. Due to fibromyalgia-related complications, Gaga also made the call later in her career to cancel a series of shows including the one in Rio.

Shakira suffered a vocal cord hemorrhage and that led her to cancel many shows since she had to rest her body and voice.