Heart's Ann Wilson shares cancer diagnosis
Wilson has postponed shows for the rest of the year, but "plan[s] to be back on stage in 2025"
Heart lead singer Ann Wilson shared that she “recently underwent an operation to remove something that, as it turns out, was cancerous,” in a statement posted to Twitter/X yesterday. “The operation was successful & I’m feeling great but my doctors are now advising me to undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy & I’ve decided to do it,” she continued.
Wilson is taking the rest of the year off “in order to fully recover,” canceling the band’s upcoming tour, which was supposed to kick off in August. All dates are currently marked as “postponed, new date TBD” on the band’s website. “To the ticket buyers, I really do wish we could do these gigs. Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025,” Wilson wrote, promising that her team “is getting those details sorted out.”
“Thank you for all the support. This is merely a pause. I’ve much more to sing,” she concluded, noting that this would be her final public statement on the matter.
Founded in 1973 in Vancouver, Canada, Heart is best known for ‘70s and ‘80s rock and roll hits like “Barracuda,” “Alone,” and “Crazy On You.” The band also includes Ann’s sister, Nancy Wilson, whom Ann has had a strained relationship with since an incident involving Ann’s husband and Nancy’s sons in 2016. At the end of that year, the sisters opted to tour with their own, separate bands, launching Heart into a multi-year hiatus that ended with a few reunion shows at the end of 2023. When this tour, titled “Royal Flush,” does commence, it will be the full band’s first since 2016.
In 2012, Wilson spoke to The A.V. Club about some of her biggest hits from over the years. You can read that conversation here.