Jo Dee Messina Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Jo Dee Messina sent out the news about her medical battle via a lengthy letter on Facebook, reassuring fans that she will continue to fight for as long as it takes to regain her health.

Written by Kelly Brickey
Jo Dee Messina Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
Jo Dee Messina; Photo by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images

Jo Dee Messina has always remained quite open with her fan base, and she decided to tell them the truth behind her recent life struggles as she revealed that she has been diagnosed with cancer.

Sending out the news to fans via a long letter on Facebook, her team confirms that the country star was just recently diagnosed with the disease and did not disclose what type of cancer Messina is fighting. Noting that she plans to rely on her friends and family as well as her faith in God to get her through this tough battle, Messina hopes fans stand by her during this period in her life.

“Over the years, Jo Dee has built a close relationship with her fans, so those of us at Team JDM wanted to be the first to let you know that she was recently diagnosed with cancer. It has been a trying summer, but her heart has been filled with gratitude for the many opportunities she has had to see God’s hand at work,” the letter read.

While the team mentioned a tidbit or two about her treatment plans, they mostly reassured fans that Messina would be looking at every path her and her doctors could find to treat the cancer to the best of their ability. Taking the rest of the year off come October, Messina seems to hold tight to her fighter mentality when bracing herself for what lies ahead.

“We don’t know anything specific regarding the treatment plan at this point, but Jo Dee is working closely with a team to explore all options. She has taken the semester off from classes at The King’s University, and her last tour date for the year will be October 7 (all other 2017 dates are being postponed), as she will begin cancer treatment this Fall,” the team continued.

After the diagnosis fully took over Messina’s life and career, she was working on powerful music that coincidentally overlapped with the battle she was about to endure. Her producer recognized the emotional connection and couldn’t help but share his personal experience about working in the studio with Messina for such a poignant track.

“Jo Dee has been working with producer Seth Mosley, and in a recent writing session wrote the song “Here” with Seth and Mia Fieldes. Seth was deeply moved to see her faith following her diagnosis while the two worked in the studio together. ‘It was one of the most powerful moments I’ve had in my entire studio career,’ Seth told Team JDM. ‘To see Jo Dee singing ‘there’s no pain, there’s no fear, here’ through the cancer and the chaos that she is walking through…God is going to use her and her story to intercept people in their pain and remind them that He is near,’” Team JDM wrote.

Messina came into country music in 1996 with “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” and became a famous face in the format with hits like “Bye, Bye,” “I’m Alright” and “Stand Beside Me.” She even had a No. 1 duet alongside Tim McGraw called “Bring on the Rain” in 2001 that kickstarted her fan base to a whole other level.

We are sending all of our love and best wishes over to Messina and her family during this tough time.