*As we previously reported, Stevie Wonder is not doing well, due to kidney issues and is on dialysis, so says Patti Jackson, veteran radio personality at WDAS in Philadelphia. Check out her report via the player above.
Jackson notes that Stevie is “hoping that one of his children will give him a kidney.”
The iconic Motown star is “doing better now than he was a couple of months ago,” one friend told the Detroit Free Press, as Wonder prepares to head overseas for a series of concerts… with a medical team in tow.
Following our report, multiple people spoke with the Free Press about Wonder’s health, and most asked not to be named due to Stevie wanting to keep the matter private.
“He’s got some health challenges, but he doesn’t want a big PR thing out of this,” said musician Joan Belgrave, a longtime friend of the singer.
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“He knows what he has to do to get himself together, and he’s doing it,” Belgrave said. “He’s got a team around him — that’s what he needs. He’s got people around him who love him.” Adding, “He’s in great spirits. You would never know anything is going on. That’s how he wants it, and that’s how he wants to keep it. He’s making music and doing what he does, and that’s what he wants to focus on.”
Following Jackson’s June 25 video, Wonder’s publicist, Shelley Selover, declined to comment saying: “Please know that nothing is verified unless it comes directly from us.”
Meanwhile, the music legend is not letting his alleged health crisis set him back as he continues to perform live around the world. Wonder performed June 26 at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and he has shows in London and Dublin coming up.
“At this point, I don’t think there’s any intention of canceling anything,” said a friend.
While Stevie prefers to keep his health battle on the low, friends said they are hopeful about his ultimate prognosis, which one described as “not dire.”
Veteran Motown songwriter and producer Mickey Stevenson called it “a little problem.”
“The bottom line is, everything is going as it should. I’m not feeling anxious or afraid,” a friend said. “It’s the same way for any of us: You get a challenge, you have to set a mark, you get the best medical care you can, and you keep on trucking. He’s handling this, and I think he’s going to be OK. Stevie is in good hands.”
