Unexpected musical partnerships that rocked the charts
In 2011, English singer-songwriter Adele required vocal node surgery, which silenced her for weeks and meant the cancellation of a concert tour.
Miley Cyrus ended up needing vocal cord surgery after being hospitalized for tonsillitis in late 2019. She was told she'd have to stay silent for several weeks as part of the recovery process.
Sam Smith opted for the same surgeon as Adele for their procedure to correct unstable blood vessels in their vocal cords. The operation in 2015 was successful but kept the English singer away from a microphone for months.
In 1997, Julie Andrews was admitted to hospital reportedly to remove non-cancerous nodules from her throat. She emerged from the surgery with permanent damage that destroyed the purity of her singing and gave a rasp to her speaking voice. The 'Sound of Music' star sued the hospital and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in 2000.
Mariah Carey claims that she has had nodules on her vocal cords since childhood, a fact she credits with being able to hit the whistle register notes she is famous for. However, tiredness and sleep deprivation on occasion can affect her vocal quality due to the nodules, sometimes resulting in time out from singing.
A grueling 15-month tour in 1987 had Elton John needing nodule surgery, which left him with a noticeably deeper and richer singing voice. But fans had to wait a year before the singer was able to record and perform again.
The American singer-songwriter and guitarist had to get used to a new voice after undergoing surgery for vocal granuloma in 2011. Recovery meant cancelling tours and taking a two-year break from performing.
Frank Ocean pulled the plug on a tour of Australia in 2013 after revealing that he had suffered a tear of his vocal cords. He sat out the year resting his voice.
In 2000, Rod Stewart was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Initially reported as a benign vocal cord nodule, the condition required surgery, after which Stewart lost his voice for nine months.
After vocal nodule surgery in 2005, Justin Timberlake figured he had the all-clear. But he continued to experience long-term problems with his voice and was forced to cancel a series of concerts in 2018 due to bruised vocal cords.
Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler managed to burst a blood vessel in his vocal fold as the band concluded a concert in 2006. The rupture was later successfully sealed by laser, but resulted in the cancellation of a North American tour and Tyler giving his voice several weeks to recover.
Country musician Keith Urban was momentarily silenced in 2011 after undergoing surgery for a vocal polyp.
Michael Bublé admitted that he was terrified his singing career would be ruined after he underwent vocal cord surgery in 2016. While the operation was successful, the Canadian singer needed to rest his voice for several weeks.
The 'All About That Bass' singer was literally left speechless after going under the knife for surgery after her vocal cords hemorrhaged multiple times in 2015 and 2018. It even got to the point where her husband, Daryl Sabara, learned to communicate with her through sign language while she took vocal rest.
In 2009, AC/DC's Brian Johnson, pictured here with guitarist Angus Young, was diagnosed with premalignant Barrett's esophagus (an abnormal change in the mucosal cells lining the lower portion of the esophagus). After successful surgery Johnson was ordered to rest—and the band forced to cancel several concert appearances.
After being roundly criticized for his singing voice at the 2010 Super Bowl half time show, The Who front man Roger Daltrey (seen here at the event with Pete Townsend and Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey) admitted to having a precancerous growth removed from his vocal cord just weeks earlier.
Celine Dion was forced to pull out of her 2012 Las Vegas concert residency for four months after suffering from inflamed vocal cords. Her condition was diagnosed as a result of a viral infection, which also left the Canadian singer exhausted.
Born Leslie Feist, the Canadian indie rock singer suffered unspecified vocal cord damage in 1995. She took a six-month hiatus, and eventually changed her singing style.
Former Fleetwood Mac singer and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham suffered a double whammy after undergoing heart surgery that resulted in damaged vocal cords. The operation in 2013 left him hospitalized for several weeks, with all shows and appearances cancelled.
Music critics agree that Whitney Houston sang as she lived, pushing herself to the limits of her physical capacity. She picked up bad vocal habits at an early age, resulting in nodules developing on her vocal cords as she tended to oversing and strain her voice. However, substance abuse and an underlying heart condition eventually silenced her forever.
Scottish singer-songwriter Shirley Manson refused a surgeon permission to remove a potentially cancerous growth from her vocal cords because he warned her that the operation could threaten her singing abilities. Fortunately, the Garbage vocalist found another doctor who was able to treat the lump in her throat and send her home for just three weeks of recuperation, with her vocal cords intact.
One of the most distinctive voices in music history was threatened as early as 1975 when Queen front man Freddie Mercury was diagnosed with vocal nodules. He refused surgery and his voice suffered as a result, though you'd never have guessed given his incredible range and power.
Legendary Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti briefly quit singing in his early twenties because a nodule developed on his vocal cords. Pavarotti blamed the growth for what he called a "disastrous" concert appearance. He walked away from music, only to return as his voice improved.
"Ol' Blue Eyes" once took a month-long vow of silence after being diagnosed with vocal cord nodules. His four-week vocal rehab restored his voice and his confidence.
Best known for being the rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss, Paul Stanley's distinctive, wide-raging voice was temporarily silenced in 2011 after he underwent successful surgery for "recurring vocal cord issues." The rock star later quipped, "It comes with 40 years of preaching rock 'n' roll."
In 2004, English soul singer Joss Stone was ordered by doctors to rest her voice after developing nodules on her vocal cords. Her fans urged her to continue performing but the singer retorted, "I've got nodules on my vocals chords and that kind of sucks. I wish certain people would realize that I need time off occasionally and that if I keep on at this pace, it could really damage me."
While not a direct result of vocal injury, Beyoncé was advised to cut back her appearances after suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, a whole-body health issue that can impact vocal performance.
Stevie Nicks' significant substance abuse is well documented, especially during her time with Fleetwood Mac. Her habit resulted in a deviated septum, which is sometimes blamed for her changing vocal quality.
See also: Famous figures who accomplished great things at 80 and beyond
Lionel Richie seems like he's always in a good mood, but the famed singer has had dark days that he didn't let the public see. Speaking to People magazine, Richie recalled battling a mysterious illness that was affecting his throat during the height of his solo career.
He was finally diagnosed with diet-induced acid reflux that was affecting his throat, and luckily made a full recovery.
Björk spent four years undertaking natural vocal exercises in a bid to avoid surgery on inflamed vocal nodules. In 2012, however, the Icelandic songstress was hospitalized to remove a polyp from her vocal cords, resulting in three weeks of silence.
Then in 2022, Celine Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disorder that causes painful muscle spasms that make singing almost impossible. As a result, she was forced to step away from the stage and cancel her 2023 tour. However, with the help of medication, physical therapy, and vocal rehabilitation, she was able to make a spectacular comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
It's the worst thing that can happen to a singer, the loss of their voice. Whether through injury, a medical condition, or overuse of the vocal cords, losing the ability to sing can have dire physical and psychological consequences for the performer, not to mention the potential loss of income through staying silent.
Click through the following gallery for a songbook of musicians who have lost their singing voice at some point in their careers.
Sounds of silence: singers who lost their voices
Musicians whose singing voice was silenced
MUSIC Singing
It's the worst thing that can happen to a singer, the loss of their voice. Whether through injury, a medical condition, or overuse of the vocal cords, losing the ability to sing can have dire physical and psychological consequences for the performer, not to mention the potential loss of income through staying silent.
Click through the following gallery for a songbook of musicians who have lost their singing voice at some point in their careers.