Singer and songwriter Joshua Ray Walker reveals he’ll be undergoing treatment for colon cancer early next year.
The Texan shared the news on social media, along with a new song called “Thanks for Listening” that he admits is more poignant in light of his diagnosis.
- Joshua Ray Walker’s most recent album is What Is It Even? (2013), a collection of pop songs from female artists.
- Last week, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You.”
- Prior to revealing his cancer, he shared that “Thanks for Listening” will appear on a new album of the same name that is mostly filled with raw, acoustic recordings of his older songs.
A sense of gratitude pervades his message to fans, in which he admits that 2023 was a “brutal” year, health-wise.
“I’m going to fight with everything I have, and my odds are great,” he says of his diagnosis. “All I ask is for your patience and healing thoughts during this time.”
“Even though my prognosis isn’t what I would have hoped for, it is a huge relief to have some answers and a course of action moving forward,” he begins.
“Basically, my doctors have found a localized cancer in my colon, and I will be undergoing surgery to remove part of my colon on January 3rd. Luckily, we found it early, and it’s likely I’ll make a full recovery without further treatment.”
Walker, 31, adds that he’ll need several months to recover, but has not adjusted any existing dates on his touring calendar.
The new song is a love letter to anyone who’s supported him, he says. The basic idea has been swimming around his head for some time, but, “it has definitely been colored by what’s been happening in my life throughout the process of creating it.”
After insisting that “this is no way a goodbye,” Walker returns to thanking fans for their support. “Because of you I’ve been able to accomplish more than I ever could have dreamed. I still can’t believe that people want to hear my songs,” he says.
These Country Stars Have Battled Cancer
So many of country music’s biggest stars have battled cancer. Sadly some lost that battle. Here is a list of some of the country artists who’ve fought the disease.