Rod Stewart, the famous voice behind countless hits over the past fifty years, is back on the road this year, sharing his latest album The Tears of Hercules alongside beloved classics. But his return to music comes after overcoming a challenging personal hurdle with his health.
Facing thyroid cancer was a daunting experience for Rod, but as he candidly shared on ITV’s Loose Women, the battle wasn’t as prolonged as it could have been. Despite successfully defeating cancer, Rod faced an unexpected consequence: he temporarily lost his iconic singing voice and had to embark on a journey to regain it.
“I was diagnosed with a little thyroid cancer,” Rod explained. “It vanished in just five minutes thanks to a swift and painless operation.” Though the procedure was over quickly, he acknowledged, “I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking I had a prolonged battle with cancer. It was relatively easy to remove, but the trade-off was losing my voice entirely.”
The recovery was far from easy for the singer. “It was a dreadful time because I couldn’t utter a single note,” Rod recalled. The surgery had affected his vocal cords profoundly. “They go right through your throat, moving everything around,” he lamented, describing the aftermath.
In an effort to regain his singing ability, Rod dedicated himself to recovery, explaining, “I spent a tremendous amount of time working on it.” He playfully referenced his hit song, “Maggie May,” noting that his patience and determination helped bring back his voice within six months.
In an interview with USA Today, Rod spoke about the shock of his diagnosis, emphasizing how fortunate he was that his thyroid cancer was detected early and removed surgically. “Physically, I’m in excellent health now,” he shared, grateful for his healing journey. He noted, “Anyone who’s faced something potentially life-threatening will tell you it puts everything into perspective.”
Reflecting on his life in his memoir, Rod expressed unprecedented vulnerability, noting how the experience had fundamentally changed him. He felt “afraid and vulnerable” in ways he had never before.
One relief was avoiding chemotherapy, sparing him the additional challenge of hair loss. “Let’s be honest,” he added with humor, “losing my hair would only rank second to losing my voice when considering the risks to my career.”
Remarkably, Rod also overcame a second health scare. In 2019, he revealed that he’d been treated successfully for prostate cancer three years after his initial diagnosis.
“Two years ago, I was told I had prostate cancer,” he shared at a Prostate Project charity event, keen to spread awareness. Rod stressed the importance of early detection, celebrating his recovery: “I’m now completely free and clear, having caught it early.” He encouraged others, “Guys, it’s essential to get checked… a little discomfort can be lifesaving.”
