Country superstar Jo Dee Messina diagnosed with cancer, will finish tour dates before hiatus
Jo Dee Messina, the ever-upbeat, blue-collar country music superstar who dominated the charts in the '90s with the double-platinum album I'm Alright, says she's been diagnosed with cancer but will follow through on scheduled tour dates through next month before taking a hiatus.
The 47-year-old Messina did not disclose the type of cancer in a post on her official site on Wednesday.
"We don't know anything specific regarding the treatment plan at this point, but Jo Dee is working closely with a team to explore all options," the statement read. "She has taken the semester off from classes at The King's University, and her last tour date for the year will be October 7 (all other 2017 dates are being postponed), as she will begin cancer treatment this Fall."
A working-class hero at a time when country was taking a turn for glam, Messina is one of the most successful country artists of the modern age, becoming the first woman to chart three multiple-week No. 1 songs from the same record. She has nine No. 1's in all, two platinum albums (I'm Alright, with five Top 10 country hits, was certified double-platinum) and three records certified gold.
Before the Oct. 7 show, Messina has three other tour dates she still intends to play: Sept. 12 in Abingdon, Virginia; Sept. 23 in Monroe, Ohio; and Sept. 26 in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
Topics Music Celebrities
Josh Dickey is Mashable's Entertainment Editor, leading Mashable's TV, music, gaming and sports reporters as well as writing movie features and reviews.Josh has been the Film Editor at Variety, Entertainment Editor at The Associated Press and Managing Editor at TheWrap.com.A finalist for the Los Angeles Press Club's Best Entertainment Feature in 2015 for "Everyone is Altered: The Secret Hollywood Procedure that Fooled Us for Years," Josh received his BA in Journalism from The University of Minnesota.In between screenings, he can be found skating longboards, shredding guitar and wandering the streets of his beloved downtown Los Angeles.
