HEART’s ANN WILSON On Her Cancer Recovery: ‘Chemo Is No Joke’

HEART singer Ann Wilson has offered an update on her health, less than three months after she announced the band was canceling its tour so that she could undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy following a cancer diagnosis.Earlier today (Wednesday, September 25),the 74-year-old musician shared an audio message in which she said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Hello, everybody. Ann Wilson here. Now I know lots of you have been wondering how I’ve been doing, so I thought it’d be best if you heard this straight from me.”I’m doing absolutely fine now, but it’s been, to put it mildly, a lot. Chemo is no joke. It takes a lot out of a person. And then there’s that two weeks of waiting around for test results, a form of mental torture. For anyone who’s been through that, I empathize big time. Luckily for me, when the results finally came, they were the good kind, and so I’m excited to share with you that I’m now finished with chemo and I’m officially ready to get ready for the tour in 2025. There’s maintenance going forward, but I’m told the side effects are much less severe. The worst is over and I’m thankful for the efficacy of this poison, but it’s more than welcome to get the fuck out of my body now.”I’m immensely grateful to everyone who prayed and sent me those good vibes,” she continued. “I’ve so felt your love. My story has a happy ending, due in part to early detection. My advice? Get checked regularly.”I love you all, and I’ll see you very, very soon. There’s much to celebrate.”HEART’s “Royal Flush” tour was originally scheduled to run from July 2024 through December 2024, but in early July, Ann revealed she “underwent an operation to remove something that, as it turns out, was cancerous.””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 wrote on social media at the time.Ann added that doctors advised her to “take the rest of the year away from the stage in order to fully recover,” forcing the cancelation of the tour.On Monday (September 23),HEART announced additional 2025 dates throughout North America as part of the band’s “Royal Flush” tour. The trek will kick off February 28 at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas and include a second night in Las Vegas on March 1, with additional stops in Toronto on April 10 at Coca-Cola Coliseum, in Mashantucket, Connecticut on April 12 at Foxwoods Resort Casino and in Boston on April 13 at Agganis Arena. The 24-city tour will wrap in New York City on April 16 at Radio City Music Hall.The current members of HEART feature Nancy Wilson (rhythm, lead and acoustic guitar, backing and lead vocals), Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute), Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar), Ryan Waters (guitars), Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals), Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean Lane (drums and bike).Last December, HEART played its first three concerts in more than four years — in Highland, California, at Greater Palm Springs in Palm Desert, California, and in Seattle, Washington.Prior to HEART’s December 27, 2023 show in Highland, the band’s last performance took place in October 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.Since HEART’s formation in the early 1970s, the band has sold 35 million albums, including seven that made the Top 10, and notched 20 Top 40 singles. The band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.Photo credit: Criss Cain[embedded content]