LOS ANGELES (AP) – Acute hip discomfort has forced Ray Charles to cancel his remaining tour dates for 2003, which had been scheduled through Dec. 16.
“It breaks my heart to withdraw from these shows,” Charles said in a statement Wednesday. “All my life, I’ve been touring and performing. It’s what I do. But the doctors insist I stay put and mend for a while, so I’ll heed their advice.”
Charles, 72, has had cartilage problems around the joint and was diagnosed and undergoing treatment in Los Angeles, spokesman Jerry Digney said last month, when the singer postponed 14 concerts set for August. He had hoped to resume his national tour with late fall and summer concert dates.
Digney said Wednesday it’s the first time Charles has canceled a tour in 53 years of concert travels.
“He’s frustrated not to be out there doing his thing, so that’s a challenge,” Digney said. “Hopefully we can keep him motivated.”
While recuperating, Charles plans to work on a gospel album and a duets album at his private studio.
Charles, who was 7 when he lost his eyesight, has won 13 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. He also was one of the original inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
He’s recorded classic songs such as “I Got a Woman,” “What’d I Say” and “Georgia on My Mind.”
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AP-ES-08-06-03 1638EDT
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