Elton John has apologized to Israeli fans who were left in the lurch when he left the country in a huff over a melee with paparazzi. The rock star was supposed to play a concert in Tel Aviv Wednesday night, but he bolted after a mob scene at his hotel.
As his security guards shoved aside photographers and fans, John jumped over a lobby couch and ran to his limousine. He rode to the airport and flew home to London. But after a flurry of frantic faxes from fans and organizers, John agreed to return and performed the concert Thursday night."Well, we made it," he told a crowd of 35,000 who turned up for the two-hour show. "What happened was regrettable and I apologize for my part in it."
The new date caused headaches for fans who had to rearrange their schedules, clashed with the Tel Aviv performance of fellow rocker Bob Dylan, and displaced some high school seniors who had to find another site for their graduation ceremony.