Marcia ball, a celebrated American blues singer, songwriter and pianist announced she will be retiring from touring and preforming due to recently being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS).
Ball statement, "As many of you may know or have heard, over recent months, I have been struggling with voice issues and have not been able to perform as I have always done."
Ball continues, "It is impossible to predict how this ALS diagnosis will impact my life fully. At this early stage however, I know that performing is something I can no longer do. I can't sing. Sadly, I have canceled all the shows I had confirmed for the foreseeable future. The absolute last thing I want to do is to cancel shows. My sincere apologies."
Ball has decided to undergo treatment in San Antonio where she assures fans, she will be "out listening to music every chance I get."
Marcia Ball began her recording career as a solo artist with Rounder Records in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 2001, she joined the Chicago-based Alligator Records. She's won eleven Blues Music Awards, fourteen Living Blues Awards, and received five GRAMMY Award nominations.
Ball has been inducted into both the Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. The Texas State legislature named her the official 2018 Texas State Musician and in 2018, Marcia was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.
Living Blues declares, “Her originals sound like timeless classics and southern soul masterpieces that no one else can imitate.” The Boston Globe calls Ball “a compelling storyteller” who plays “an irresistible, celebratory blend of rollicking New Orleans piano, Louisiana swamp rock and smoldering Texas blues.”
