Singer Andy Williams says he has bladder cancer

WASHINGTON—US singer Andy Williams has revealed he is suffering from bladder cancer, but has promised to return to the stage next year, saying the disease is “no longer a death sentence.”

Andy Williams. AP FILE PHOTO

“I do have cancer of the bladder,” the 83-year-old Williams told fans Saturday at his Moon River Theater in Branson, Missouri.

“But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this thing. They’re kicking it, and they’re winning more and more every year. And I’m going to be one of them,” he was quoted as saying by the Branson Tri-Lakes News.

The crooner known for his smooth voice then sang “The Christmas Song,” recalling how he used to sing the piece as a child with his three older brothers when they performed as a quartet.

Calls to management of the 2,000-seat Moon River Theater named after his signature song were not immediately returned.

But the venue’s website indicated that “due to health reasons, Andy may not make a live appearance in his Christmas show,” an ongoing production which features several guest stars.

The local newspaper said he would return to the stage in September and October next year to “do the shows I’ve planned to do.” That would mark his 75th year as an entertainer.

A close friend of the Kennedy family, Williams sang “Ave Maria” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the funeral of Robert F. Kennedy following his 1968 assassination during a presidential campaign event.