Blues great Marcia Ball has announced she is retiring from touring and performing after a recent ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) diagnosis.
The Orange native said, “I have been struggling with voice issues and have not been able to perform as I have always done. This has been frustrating for me since performing with my band and my musical friends has been my life.”
She went on to say, “It is impossible to predict how this ALS diagnosis will impact my life fully. At this early stage however, I know that performing is something I can no longer do. I can’t sing. Sadly, I have canceled all the shows I had confirmed for the foreseeable future. The absolute last thing I want to do is to cancel shows. My sincere apologies. I will be entering a treatment program at UT San Antonio, and I am hopeful that the progression of symptoms is slow to appear. “
The 76 year old was born in Orange but raised in Vinton. Seeing an Irma Thomas performance in 1962 and falling under the spell of Professor Longhair’s piano playing convinced Ball to seek out a career in music.
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