Wonder tells crowd he needs kidney op
Stevie Wonder surprised concertgoers in London by announcing he would take a break from performing to receive a kidney transplant.
The 69-year-old music legend made the announcement after performing Superstition at the end of a packed concert in Hyde Park.
He said he was speaking out to quell rumours and sought to reassure fans he would be okay.
“I’m going to be doing three shows, then taking a break,” he said. “I’m having surgery. I’m going to have a kidney transplant at the end of September this year.”
He said a donor has been found and that he would be fine, drawing cheers from a devoted crowd of tens of thousands that stretched out from the stage as far as the eye could see.
“I came here to give you my love and to thank you for yours,” he said. “You ain’t gonna hear no rumours about us. I’m good.”
He did not provide additional information about his kidney illness. A recent report said he faced a serious health issue.
A representative for Wonder didn’t immediately respond to a request for details about Wonder’s health. He has kept an active schedule, including performing recently at a Los Angeles memorial service for slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Wonder, who has received more than two-dozen Grammy Awards, has produced a string of hits over a long career that began when he was a youngster who performed as Little Stevie Wonder.
Wonder seemed in top form throughout the concert, performing a series of his hits and paying tribute to musical heroes including Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon, performing a stirring rendition of the latter’s Imagine near the end.
It was a joyous event, fans revelling in the warm night, though drizzle fell near the end, and the career-spanning retrospective that evoked Wonder’s early days as a Motown star.
He did seem less ebullient than in the past and made his health announcement in a sombre tone, with a severe look on his face. But he was smiling as he left the stage with the band playing the memorable conclusion of Superstition one final time.