U2 cancels American tour, Glastonbury Fest. Bono needs rehab

Bad news for U2 fans.

Bono's serious back problem and resulting surgery has forced U2 to postpone their summer American tour. The band also canceled its appearance at the Glastonbury music festival. 

"I'm heartbroken," Bono explains on the U2.com website.  "We really wanted to be there to do something really special -- we even wrote a song especially for the Festival."

The band's manager, Paul McGuinness, explains Bono's decision.

"Our biggest and I believe best tour has been interrupted and we're all devastated," he says in a statement on the site. "For a performer who lives to be on stage, this is more than a blow. He feels robbed of the chance to do what he does best and feels like he has badly let down the band and their audience. Which is of course nonsense.

"His concerns about more than a million ticket buyers whose plans have been turned upside down, we all share, but the most important thing right now is that Bono make a full recovery."

Bono's doctor,  Dr. Muller Wohlfahrt, adds, "Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve. On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery with Professor Tonn at Munich's LMU University Hospital on Friday."

According to the statement, Bono's condition was quite serious.

 Professor Tonn also comments, "Bono was referred to me by Dr. Muller Wohlfahrt late last week with a sudden onset disease. He was already in severe pain with partial paralysis in the lower leg. The ligament surrounding the disc had an 8mm tear and during surgery we discovered fragments of the disc had traveled into the spinal canal. This surgery was the only course of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis. Bono is now much better, with complete recovery of his motor deficit. The prognosis is excellent but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation."

The  "U2 360" tour will be rescheduled for 2011.

Rest, get well and stronger, Bono. Better to miss one tour than to risk permanent damage.

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