Kathy Brown diagnosed with stage four lung cancer: Legendary house singer, 63, undergoes surgery after disease spread to her brain – with fundraiser launched to pay for her treatment
Legendary house singer Kathy Brown has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, with the disease having spread to her brain.
The 63-year-old Brown, known for songs such as Turn Me Out (Turn to Sugar) and Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own), was diagnosed late last year after being admitted to the intensive care unit in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.
Doctors performed surgery to reduce the swelling of Brown’s brain – with the star currently undergoing a course of radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
Kathy’s daughter Chanta Joyner has one GoFundMe to finance medical expenses and monthly bills for the family.
Chanta wrote: ‘As the news only just sinks in, we are already facing the harsh reality of what this means for my mother – not just the physical and medical challenges, but the many financial ones as well.
Legendary house singer Kathy Brown has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, with the disease having spread to her brain
Brown, 63, known for songs such as Turn Me Out (Turn to Sugar) and Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own) was diagnosed late last year after being admitted to the intensive care unit in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina
“Like most artists who have dedicated their careers to dance music, without being able to perform LIVE, there is little to no chance of making an income. My mother has been pouring her heart and soul onto stages and dance floors around the world for over thirty years, and now she needs your love and support more than ever.
“My siblings and I are going to do everything we can to care for her, but the costs we face in medical bills and monthly bills are overwhelming.
‘My mother deserves the best care and comfort that money can buy. I know she has thousands of fans around the world who love her voice and her beautiful spirit.
‘Please consider making a contribution to help Kathy and get her through the coming weeks and months. The London-based record label ‘Revival’ with which she recently collaborated has offered to match contributions of up to $10,000.
“Let’s show my mother that the dance music community is truly an extended family that keeps each other going not only in good times but also in difficult times. Thank you for the love, support and the many messages you posted and sent to Kathy. I promise she sees them all, and they mean the world to her.
Nearly $25,000 has already been raised.
To further support fundraising, Toolroom has also announced a charity single from Wh0, Mark Knight & James Hurr featuring Kathy’s iconic vocals, Turn Me Deeper, to be released on January 19th.
Brown initially found fame as the top singer of the group Praxis before scoring American dance hits on her own.
Brown, 63, known for songs such as Turn Me Out (Turn to Sugar) and Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own) was diagnosed late last year after being admitted to the intensive care unit in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina
In 1999, she climbed to #4 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with Joy, and in 2004 she was the credited vocalist for British act Soul Central’s Strings Of Life (Stronger On My Own), a song that samples Rhythm Is Rhythm’s 1989. House classic.
Over the years she has been featured on dozens of house and club singles.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. It is detected using a low-dose computed tomography scan (CT scan).
One in six people will be diagnosed with lung cancer during their lifetime, and more than 127,000 lives are lost each year.
A recent report from the ACS shows that young women are more likely to suffer from lung cancer than men.
Men were almost twice as likely as women to develop the disease in the 1980s, due to higher rates of smoking and higher workplace exposure to substances such as asbestos.
But with declining cigarette use and safety regulations, the pattern has reversed, with young and middle-aged women now more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than men.
In 1992 there were about 65 new cases of lung cancer for every 100,000 people and by 2019 this had fallen to about 42.
Despite progress, an inequality is emerging between the sexes: lung cancer is diagnosed more often in women between the ages of 35 and 54 than in men in the same age group.
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of lung cancer, and although the overall number of smokers has fallen dramatically, women are slower to quit.
By gender, approximately 67,000 men die from lung cancer each year, compared to 59,910 women.