Rod Stewart Too Sick to Attend Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction

Axl Rose won’t be the only no-show at tomorrow’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland: Rod Stewart has also declined to attend due to sudden illness. The singer was originally scheduled to reunite on stage with the classic lineup of the Faces, but he announced today that he will have to miss the ceremony.

This afternoon, Stewart and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame released a joint statement via the singer’s publicist:

Unfortunately Rod is battling the flu this week and regrettably he is unable to accept his induction in person in Cleveland.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame congratulates Rod on his 2012 Induction and wishes him a speedy recovery.

“I’m absolutely devastated,” Stewart said. “Shattered that I’m going to miss my second induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – and this time alongside my mates.”

Faces will play a short set after they are inducted with Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall singing vocals. He’s a friend of the band and has played with them before. We are thrilled that Mick dropped everything to hop on a plane to be here to play with Faces on Saturday night.

Tomorrow’s Hall of Fame induction honors both the influential mod group Small Faces and their harder rock reincarnation, the Faces. Stewart served as vocalist for the latter before leaving to pursue his flourishing solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an individual performer in 1994, in the same class as John Lennon, Elton John and Bob Marley.

Earlier this week, Faces guitarist Ron Wood told Rolling Stone that the group’s reunion would include a spin through “Stay With Me” and a possible instrumental. He joked, a bit prophetically, “I’m going to sing ‘Ooh La La,’ whether Rod likes it or not.”