Jully Black says vocal cord hemorrhage led to emergency surgery last year

TORONTO — Canadian R&B performer Jully Black underwent emergency surgery last year to deal with a vocal cord hemorrhage.

The “Sweat of Your Brow” singer says the combination of prolonged stress on her voice and a lengthy winter flu caused an injury that doctors urged her to deal with immediately.

She says the surgery left her under orders to not sing or speak for three months — a suggestion she mostly followed.

At the time Black, born Jullyann Gordon, was in early preparations for her starring role in the musical “Caroline, or Change,” which runs at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre until Feb. 15.

She says the unexpected challenge forced her to slow down her hectic schedule and recognize a better place herself “mentally and spiritually.”

Vocal cord injuries, often tied to overwork and stress, have led other singers to require surgery in recent years, including Michael Buble, Adele, Sam Smith and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger.

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David Friend, The Canadian Press