Why Rod Stewart kept his cancer diagnosis a secret from his kids

For over 50 years, Rod Stewart has been performing and recording music. He just received the 2025 American Music Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award for his remarkable career, which has seen him sell over 250 million CDs.

However, Stewart has fought severe health problems, even if his success has given him chances and freedom in life. Despite the fact that dealing with cancer is extremely difficult, Stewart now admits that he kept his prostate cancer diagnosis from his kids for almost a decade.

Rod Stewart has had an absolutely amazing career. He became well-known in the 1960s and produced his debut solo album, An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down, in 1969. He was the working-class son of a Scottish plumber in London, England.

Since then, Stewart has sold over 250 million albums, performed live for several decades, and enthralled audiences worldwide with his unique raspy voice. In addition to the numerous honors Stewart has received, he added a very valuable new prize to his collection on May 26.

At the American Music Awards, Rod Stewart received the Lifetime Achievement Award. It came from Kimberly, Sean, Ruby, Renee, and Liam, five of his eight children. “I am completely shocked. In his address, Stewart stated, “My children, I had no idea they were here.” “The reason I began into singing in the early 1960s, long before all of you were here, was because I had a strong desire to sing. I just wanted to do it. A few years later, I’m receiving this amazing prize, even though I never wanted to be wealthy or well-known.

Rod Stewart’s life has been amazing. But in recent decades, he has been plagued by health problems. He had surgery in 2000 after medical professionals found a malignant growth in his thyroid gland. The musician then discovered that it might have cost him his ability to sing. When I went in for the procedure, they didn’t inform me of that. Just after I came out,” Stewart said to AARP.

He has previously described how he “had to learn to trust my voice again” following the surgery, which required vocal rehabilitation. Stewart talked further about losing his voice in an interview with ITV. “They rip right through your throat, tearing apart all the muscles, and they have to remember again because they all have memories,” Stewart remarked.

That’s why it took me so long. “Awaken, Maggie,” I would say at the beginning. “Oh, it’s gone.” “Awaken, Maggie. I believe I have..” Oh, it’s gone again. I needed six months to regain it, which is how long it took.

Regretfully, Rod Stewart would develop cancer once more. Rod Stewart had a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2016. He was also assured that he would bounce back from the news when he got it. Stewart made the decision to keep the diagnosis a secret from his kids. He went on to talk about how his family has persevered through both good and terrible times, saying, “I didn’t want to worry them, and I’m all clear now.” “My family is the quintessential example of a close-knit, affectionate family that didn’t have a lot of money.

I received a lot of attention and the occasional chocolate because I was the youngest by ten years. didn’t have much money, but at the moment, it didn’t seem like a concern,” Stewart clarified.

After hearing “Maggie May” on the radio for the first time, I went back to my parents’ house to tell them everything. It was a lovely moment when they began to cry. I showed them the $1 million check I received from Mercury Records. And I carried them with me everywhere.

Rod Stewart, a two-time cancer survivor, has devoted a significant portion of his time to supporting cancer sufferers and promoting the causes that are battling for a cure. He has aided the City of Hope Foundation, for instance, which seeks to eradicate all forms of cancer.

Stewart has recently gave over $13,000 to the NHS Grampian cancer centre in Aberdeenshire in order to help cancer sufferers.

Rod Stewart told the Oral Cancer Foundation, “I’m among the fortunate ones.” “Why is the first thing that comes to mind? “What can I do to help?” is your next thought. He went on, “I think, God, I’m one of the lucky ones to see little children dying of cancer with no hope at all,” Stewart remarked. “I have to do something with the rest of my life, and he must have given me another chance.” I appreciate your commitment to finding a cancer cure, Rod Stewart. To honor him, please tell your friends and family about this story on Facebook!