Charles Kelley, lead singer of the country trio Lady A, announced he has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, after doctors traced the disease following a series of unexplained rib fractures.
Kelley disclosed the diagnosis in a video posted to Instagram, telling fans that doctors found the cancer in his blood after ordering tests to investigate his “random rib fractures.”
“I think in the same spirit of the way we’ve kind of shared a lot of my sobriety journey, just getting this stuff off your chest is so freeing, and it takes the power away from it a little bit that we wanted to let y’all know what was going on,” Kelley said in the video. “And we’re going to get through it.”
Kelley said he and his family are approaching the diagnosis the same way he has approached his recovery from addiction.
“In sobriety, it’s all about one day at a time and that we’re not in control, and, so, that’s the way we’re looking at it.”
He told fans he expects to keep working through the initial phase of treatment.
“I believe it’s not going to be too super invasive. I can still work,” he said. “I think, physically, I will feel like myself. I’ll have tough days, but you know, I want to keep working.”
Kelley said staying active in music and with his family will remain central to how he handles treatment.
“I need to be happy and doing what I love to do and spending and soaking up as much time with my family as I can as well.”
He struck a determined tone about the road ahead.
“It’s just another hurdle, and I’m pretty confident that we’re going to get through it.”
Lady A rose to become one of country music’s most successful crossover acts, propelled in large part by the hit “Need You Now.” Kelley has also built a solo career, including the Grammy-nominated song “The Driver” with Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay.
This is not the first health challenge Kelley has spoken about publicly. In 2022, Lady A postponed its “Request Line Tour” so Kelley could focus on treatment for substance abuse, a period during which he credited his wife, Cassie, and his bandmates with helping him through recovery.
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