Country Music Stars Fighting Cancer in 2024

It’s no secret that 2024 was a difficult year for the country music world, as more than 30 artists or influencers died while a handful of other notable musicians announced they were ending touring.

Several other stars have openly battled heart problems, and now two country music stars are also openly battling cancer.

• WANT MORE COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS? CLICK HERE.

Below, a quick look at the singers fighting the disease and how they are doing in the fight:

Raul Malo

The lead singer of the popular band The Mavericks, Malo first announced on Instagram in July that he was battling cancer.

“For the last few years, we here on the road have been in a health situation,” he said. “Treating us a little better. Taking care of ourselves a little better and really trying to do all the right things when it comes to nutrition, etc. So part of the health journey is getting a check-up. Go to the doctor, get a physical exam and start there.”

Malo said that’s what he did.

“And that led to another appointment with a gastrointestinal specialist, which resulted in a CT scan,” he said. “And it showed two cancerous spots.”

The good news is that Malo has stayed active on the road and kept fans updated on what appear to be promising results from his treatment.

His last full update came almost a month ago, when the band announced they would be skipping some shows so he could focus on his chemotherapy sessions.

“Hey guys,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, we will no longer be performing at the next three shows with Dwight Yoakam, September 26-28. The incredible Los Lonely Boys will be replacing us on these dates.”

Malo then gave a brief update on his fight and explained the reason for the lack of dates.

“This week I will have my sixth round of chemotherapy,” he wrote. “The doctors insist that we stay on schedule because the radiation is working and we are improving every day.”

The statement included an apology to fans for being unable to perform.

“Thank you for your love and support,” he concluded by saying. “We look forward to getting back with you all soon!- RM”

Joshua Ray Walker

Joshua Ray Walker checked in this week and shared some promising news.

And that was welcome because prospects weren’t starting to look so good for the rising young singer.

Walker, who last posted personally on hospital social media following major lung biopsy surgery about three weeks ago, made the promising revelation in a lengthy post on Instagram.

“As many of you know, in February of this year I began treatment for stage 3B colon cancer,” he wrote. “I had to clear my touring schedule, but with the help of my hometown fans, I was able to play sold-out solo shows monthly at the Kessler Theater in Dallas, TX. It’s been an extremely difficult time, but these shows have helped me stay positive, creative, and keep the lights on!

“I’m getting my strength back, and the best way I can think of to prepare for touring again is to go back to basics,” he continued. “I’ve really missed the road and can’t think of a better way to start than by taking this one-man show I’m working on to the Texas Triangle. I’ll be playing some of my favorite honky-tonks and listening rooms in Texas, and I hope you’ll join me for a night of stories and songs.”

“Recovering from the lung surgery I had a month ago was harder than I expected, but I have a big update on my current battle with health and cancer,” he continued. “I will update you later this week after I have a few more days to process the good news. Thank you for your continued support. See you soon and ‘Thanks for listening’!”

Walker underwent lung surgery in September. He said doctors had to drill five holes in his ribs, deflate a lung, cut out a section of that lung and sew it back together before inflating it again.

Walker first announced his lung cancer diagnosis on Instagram in September.

“Hey guys!” he wrote. “Once again, I have good and bad news to share. The good news is that I finished chemotherapy treatment!! It was extremely difficult and I want to thank all of you so much for supporting me through this experience. My body handled it reasonably well and I started to rebuild my strength and immune system! The bad news is that upon completion of tests to check the status of my cancer following treatment, several nodules of varying sizes were found in both of my lungs.”

Walker said this means his cancer will likely be reclassified to stage 4 and added that “the odds have definitely changed.”

But perhaps after the biopsy, the probabilities changed once again in a positive direction.