Over the weekend in Britain, Rod Stewart decided tonight’s the night — to reveal he had successfully fought off prostate cancer.
“No one knows this, but I thought this was about time I told everybody,” the 74-year-old singer said Saturday while performing at a gala fundraiser for British charity the Prostate Project. “I’m in the clear now, simply because I caught it early.”
The diagnosis came a couple of years ago, the ‘Maggie May’ singer said, urging men to go to the doctor and get tested.
Ronnie Wood and others joined Stewart in concert at ‘An Evening With Kenney Jones & Friends’, a charity ball attended by 500 people at London’s fancy Wentworth Club.
Though Stewart said onstage he was diagnosed “two years ago”, he told the Mirror at the event that he learnt about his cancer in February 2016 after a routine check-up and fought it in secret for three years.
“Experience has shown what a big difference high-profile celebrities can make when they ‘come out’ about their cancer,” Prostate Project President Tim Sharp said in a statement, citing celebs including actor Stephen Fry. “We have no doubt that Sir Rod’s decision to announce his fight with the disease will be equally effective.”
