Lady A's Charles Kelley Reveals Multiple Myeloma: 'I Feel Really Hopeful'
Lady A singer Charles Kelley has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer. The 45-year-old country star shared the news Tuesday in an Instagram video with his wife, Cassie McConnell Kelley, and said he is optimistic about what lies ahead.
"I'm young, I feel healthy, and the treatments, I will have to say, have just come so far, even in the past five years," Kelley said, according to ABC News. "I feel really hopeful. I really do."
How Doctors Found the Cancer
Kelley said the diagnosis came after he suffered a couple of unexplained rib fractures. The injuries led his doctor to order several blood tests, which revealed the cancer.
"I had this, a couple random rib fractures that happened, which sparked my doctor into having me do several different blood tests," he explained in the video.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow. Because the disease can weaken bones, unexplained fractures and bone pain are among its common warning signs.
Symptoms can be easy to miss. In one recent case, a 62-year-old man learned he had multiple myeloma after a sudden distaste for beer sent him to the doctor.
A Rare Diagnosis at His Age
Multiple myeloma is uncommon, especially in people as young as Kelley. The American Cancer Society estimates about 36,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year.
Most patients are 65 or older, and the average age at diagnosis is 69, according to the American Cancer Society. Fewer than 1% of cases are found in people younger than 35.
Kelley said a friend who was diagnosed about two months before him has helped him prepare for the road ahead.
"She's about two months ahead of me on this. And it helped me so much watching that," he said.
He Plans to Keep Working
Kelley said he expects the first six months of treatment to be manageable and does not plan to step away from music.
"I believe it's not going to be too super invasive. I can still work," he said. "I'll have tough days, but you know, I wanna keep working."
He mentioned that Lady A has Christmas shows coming up but did not share specific dates. He also stressed the importance of family time as he begins treatment.
"I need to be happy and doing what I love to do and spending and soaking up as much time with my family as I can," Kelley said, according to Fox News.
Leaning on Lessons From Sobriety
Kelley has been open about his sobriety since 2022, when Lady A postponed a tour so he could focus on his recovery. He said the lessons he learned then are shaping how he faces this new challenge.
"In sobriety, it's all about one day at a time and that we're not in control, and so that's the way we're looking at it," he said. "It's just another hurdle, and I'm pretty confident that we're going to get through it."
Kelley and his wife share two sons, Ward, born in 2016, and Archer, born in 2025.
Bandmates Rally Around Him
Kelley's Lady A bandmates quickly shared messages of support online.
"The strongest duo right here! Love y'all so much!" Hillary Scott wrote.
"Covering you in prayer brother. Love y'all. We're all here for you!" added Dave Haywood.
Kelley is the latest star to go public with a cancer diagnosis. "Full House" actor Dave Coulier has shared updates on his treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, another blood cancer, while "Grey's Anatomy" actor James Pickens Jr. credited early screening with catching his prostate cancer. "The Pitt" star Moshe Kasher also revealed a diagnosis after finding a lump in his throat.
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