Soul/funk singer Sharon Jones has formally announced that her cancer has returned. Jones broke the news to fans during the Toronto International Film Festival this past Friday. Ironically, the announcement was made before the screening of the documentary Miss Sharon Jones!, which chronicles Jones' previous battle with stage-one bile duct cancer.
Jones was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013, though the tumor was luckily found early and she was treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Sharon and her band, The Dap-Kings, had to cancel their tour and push back the release of their album, Give the People What They Want, to 2014 as the famed singer recovered from her illness. Jones plans for the same thing to happen this time around and does not intend on giving up singing as she undergoes chemotherapy to treat and once again beat cancer. As reported by the Toronto Star, Jones assured the Miss Sharon Jones! audience, "I’m going to do what I have to do...I’m going to sing." Her conviction to beat cancer and continue her artistry is a testament to her truly resilient character, an attribute that is so typical of Jones' work as a songstress.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Sharon Jones and her family as she undergoes cancer treatment and fights this battle.
