Candi Staton climbed the charts with hit songs “Young Hearts Run Free,” “I’m Just a Prisoner” and her cover of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man.”
Yet the disco, soul and gospel singer’s powerful voice was almost silenced by cancer.
Staton is the subject of tonight’s episode of TV One music series Unsung, and details her battle with breast cancer — following a 2018 diagnosis.
“I found a knot in my left breast and it came back positive,” Staton recalls in a clip from the episode. “I said, ‘You must be kidding, you mean I have cancer?'”
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Over the years, @IamCandiStaton has fought for her life in more ways than one. What a blessing that she has been fully recovered & cancer-free since 2019. ??? Don’t miss an all-new #Unsung diving into the journey of the iconic soul singer this Sunday at 9p/8c only on @tvonetv. pic.twitter.com/QGsMOgfQ7M
— TV One (@tvonetv) March 23, 2024
Staton, 84, says the treatments were difficult and depleting.
“I did 10 rounds of chemo, 30 rounds of radiation for 18 months, ” she explains.
She leaned on family members for support and turned to prayer.
“I would pray, ‘Lord let me be able to sing again,’ and he answered my prayers,” she shares.
The singer-songwriter, known as the “queen of Southern soul,” fully recovered and has been cancer free since 2019.
Earlier this month, she released the new single “Power of One” with Kelly G.
Unsung: Candi Staton airs tonight on TV One at 9 pm ET/8C followed by interview series Uncensored, which features A Different World star Jasmine Guy at 10 pm ET / 9C.
Unsung is narrated by actor Gary Anthony Williams and executive produced by Frank Sinton and Arthur Smith of A. Smith & Co. Productions. Mark Rowland, Kysha Mounia and Jamecia Blount also serve as executive producers.
Watch the preview clip with Candi Staton above.
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