TORONTO — Shawn Hook is plotting his return to pop music after a tonsil cancer diagnosis threatened to silence his singing career.
The 39-year-old performer says his life was put on hold in January 2023 when he learned a lump on his neck was cancerous.
Hook underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation last year, which he says made him unable to speak properly for some time, and presented him with the possibility that he would never be able to sing again.
Getting the Juno nominee’s voice back on track took extensive vocal training.
Hook, whose radio hits include “Sound of Your Heart” and the Vanessa Hudgens duet “Reminding Me,” is now rolling out his first music since his cancer diagnosis.
“Bigger Than the Night” was released earlier this year as a precursor to a new EP due in the summer.
Hook shared his experience as part of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Month campaign to raise funds and awareness for the organization, which helps people who face cancer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
