Pop music pioneer Stevie Wonder has revealed to his fans that he’ll be taking some time off from performing soon, sidelining himself in order to receive a kidney transplant.
After 57 years in the game, it’s hard to believe that there have only been a few years where the great Stevie Wonder hasn’t performed live.
However, it seems that it is time for the music icon to take a little bit of time off and tend to himself, revealing to fans that he would be going under the knife later this year to have a kidney transplant.
Performing in London on Saturday night, the 69-year-old briefly addressed fans between songs to let them know what was going on, so as to dispel any “rumours” that may circulate.
The moment, this evening at Hyde Park, Stevie Wonder told us why he would be taking a break from performing…. pic.twitter.com/pwfjnczGKx
— Aleem Maqbool (@AleemMaqbool) July 6, 2019
“So what’s gonna happen is this, I’m going to have surgery, I’m going to have a kidney transplant in September of this year,” Wonder explained. “I’m all good, I’m all good, I’m all good. I have a donor, it’s all good.
“I want you to know I came here to give you my love and to thank you for your love. You ain’t gotta hear no rumours about nothing, I told you what’s up. I’m good. All right?”
While this news may have come as a surprise to many in the audience, Stevie Wonder’s revelation came just days after The Detroit Free Press reported that the musician was “battling a serious but manageable health issue.”
With sources close to Wonder explaining that he is “doing better now than he was a couple of months ago,” others tried to downplay its severity.
Despite these rumours, and claims that the musician was travelling on his current tour with a medical team, he is apparently as positive as ever.
“He’s in great spirits. You would never know anything is going on. That’s how he wants it, and that’s how he wants to keep it,” explained close friend Joan Belgrave. “He’s making music and doing what he does, and that’s what he wants to focus on.”
In a statement, Motown Museum CEO Robin Terry noted Wonder’s legacy, and revealed that everyone at the museum are hoping for a quick recovery and return to the stage for the legend.
“Stevie Wonder is a treasure and force in our culture. He is a master of music and humanity,” Terry said.
“His Motown Museum family is in touch with him and we are praying for his full recovery and return to the stage where he will continue to be an inspiration for us all.”
Check out ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder:
