Sharon Jones Battling Cancer, Cancels Remaining Dap-Kings Tour

Posted June 3, 2013 by J Matthew Cobb in News

Sharon Jones postpones tour and album release due to cancer diagnosis

Sharon Jones, retro soul singer and frontwoman for the Dap-Kings, announced she’s battling stage 1 bile duct cancer, but expects a full recovery. She will be taking a hiatus to undergo treatment for the disease which affects the liver, gallbladder and small intestine. Although her illness was detected early, the nature of the disease requires that Jones, 57, must pull away from her rigorous work schedule. She recently released a message to her fans and supporters:

“Over the last few weeks I haven’t felt good and I didn’t know what was going on. We sadly had to cancel shows while I went through a series of tests and short hospital stays. We just found out that I have a stage-one tumor on my bile duct. Luckily we caught it really early and fast and the doctors say it’s operable and curable! I will be having surgery very soon and will have to rest and recover. I’ll be staying in touch and keeping my fans and friends updated on my progress. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road to give the people what they want!”

The forthcoming album, Give the People What They Want, has been tentatively postponed from being released. It was originally scheduled to be released on August 6. The band hopes to reveal a new release date and a revised tour schedule in weeks to come.

Sharon Jones, a favorite at world-class music festivals, is best known for her underground soul hits, “I Learned the Hard Way,” “100 Days 1o0 Nights” and “Tell Me.”

We wish her a speedy recovery.

For those who have missed out on our previous coverage of Jones & the Dap-Kings, check these links:

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: Game Gets Old
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: If You Call
Sharon Jones Guests On the Next Episode of Live at Daryl’s House

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: Soul Time! (SoulTracks.com)