Charles Bradley Diagnosed With Stomach Cancer
Charles Bradley has canceled his fall tour after doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his stomach. The full cancellation comes after the 67-year-old singer was forced to call off several recent shows due to health concerns.
“I’m getting the best medical care and we are all extremely optimistic,” Bradley said in a statement. “I will fight through this like I’ve fought through the many other obstacles in my life. My upcoming tour dates will be postponed so I can concentrate on healing. Thank you all for understanding. Music is how I share my love with the world, and the love that my fans have given back brings me so much joy. I look forward to seeing your gorgeous faces soon, and to continue to share my love through music.”
Bradley and his backing group the Extraordinaires were scheduled to tour North America through early November before embarking on an extensive European trek that stretched into mid-December. Bradley had already spent much of 2016 on the road in support of his third album, Changes, which was released in April.
Bradley notably began his career as a James Brown impersonator in 1967 and would perform periodically over the next several decades while he drifted across the United States, battling illiteracy, poverty and chronic unemployment. His luck turned, however, after Daptone Records co-founder Gabriel Roth saw his James Brown act and linked him with Tom Brenneck, who would go on to produce Bradley’s three albums. After recording numerous singles during the 2000s, Bradley released his debut album, No Time For Dreaming, in 2011 at the age of 63.
Bradley has continued to perform and record regularly. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he discussed why he sees no end in sight for his career. “Right now, I don’t see a stopping point ’cause I don’t see no place where I can stop at and rest in peace,” he said. “But I know that from doing shows for the public, the love when I go out into the audience and hug ’em and the things that they say to me personally … [pauses] Wow. It’s not only me onstage doing it. I open their hearts up and they feel the love of my heart and when I go out there and really respond to ’em and talk to ’em, they tell me some things.”