Stevie Wonder is to undergo a kidney transplant. The 69-year-old singer told the crowd at a gig in London’s Hyde Park on 6 July that he would give three more concerts this summer before the operation in September.
He made the announcement after playing his 1972 hit Superstition, saying that he wanted to prevent rumours about his health from spreading. “I have a donor and it’s all good,” he said.
Wonder did not offer more information on his condition. Kidney failure and end-stage chronic kidney disease are among the most common reasons for needing a kidney replacement.
During his headline performance as part of the British Summer Time festival, Wonder covered John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Imagine – as Celine Dion did at the same festival the night before. “We’re going to keep singing this song until we all cut the bullshit,” he said.
Commenting on US politics, he said: “Those of you who know the right thing to do: do the right thing. Unity has never been this hard.”
Wonder has been a vocal opponent to Donald Trump’s presidency. In November 2016, shortly before the presidential election, he likened voting for Trump to asking him to drive a patient to the hospital. “Because I’m not an experienced driver, right? So my belief is that Hillary is an experienced person of the government, and she has spent 30 years with a commitment.”
In September 2017, he showed support for the NFL players criticised by Trump for kneeling in protest during the national anthem by taking a knee during the Global Citizens festival in New York’s Central Park.
