Missy Elliott delayed her plans to tour to care for her dying dog
The 52-year-old singer is hitting the road for the first time since 2004 with her first ever headline concert series 'Out of This World - The Missy Elliott Experience' - which will also feature her friends and collaborators Ciara and Busta Rhymes - and she admitted she had postponed her performance plans several times over the years, most recently to care for her beloved pooch Hoodie, who passed away in November
6 July 2024
She told People magazine: "I stayed home a lot because I didn't want to go out on the road, and something happened.
"He was 17 and lived a long, happy life.
"[He was] so pretty and lived a very long time."
After Hoodie's death, Ciara encouraged Missy to get back on stage.
She added: "So I said, 'Okay, now I can leave the house without having to worry about anything.'
"So Ciara and my dog played a big influence in me making the decision to go out."
The 'Work It' hitmaker will be accomanied on tour by her other dog, Miss Fendi Dior.
She said: "She's six years old. So [she's] got her clothes ready to go out on the road with us. [It'll] be fun, fun."
Missy claimed the dog is "excited" to wear matching outfits with her on the road.
She said: "I know people sometimes be like, 'Why y'all dressing those dogs?'... But she likes clothes. She really [does] like clothes. She [sees] me pulling out the outfit [and] she's running. She knows that means."
Missy has been working hard ahead of the tour, which starts on Thursday (04.07.24) evening.
She said: "It's full days, then I go home, and the work continues. But I feel good. I'm super excited."
The singer has struggled with autoimmune disorder Graves' disease - which can cause anxiety, fatigue, and weight loss - and depression over the years but she recently revealed she is feeling "so much better" now.
She told People magazine: "Every day I wake, I'm blessed to be here and in good health.
"I'm feeling so much better now. That was a run. Every now and then you get a little ache in the leg or the knee, but outside of that, I feel good."
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