Johnny Lee Undergoing Two Brain Surgeries, Asking for Prayers
Johnny Lee is asking for prayers as he turned to social media to reveal that he will undergo two brain surgeries in August.
The country singer, best known for a string of hits in the '80s that included "Lookin' for Love" and "Hey Bartender," posted to Facebook on Monday night (July 15) to announce that he needs the surgery to help with the side effects of his battle with Parkinson's, writing:
August 7th I'm having brain surgery in Houston because of my parkinson's disease. It will help me walk better. August 21st will be the 2nd part of my brain surgery. I will then go back 2 weeks later and get a battery put in. I’m doing this all because I'm having problems walking. I will be fine. I’m asking for prayers. God gave me the talent and I plan on using it until the day I die. Thank you! Xoxo
According to a post on Facebook, Lee was diagnosed with Parkinson's sometime around July of 2018. "I don't like it one bit but I know that I won't let it get me down," he wrote in response to a friend. "I've got a lot of music left in me and I don't believe God brought me this far to abandon me now."
The 73-year-old singer launched his recording career in 1976, and he shot to fame with the release of Urban Cowboy, whose massively successful soundtrack included "Lookin' for Love." That gave him his first No. 1 hit in 1980, and he followed up with more chart-toppers including "One in a Million," "Bet Your Heart on Me," "The Yellow Rose" and "You Could Have Heard a Heartbreak."
Lee was married to Dallas actress Charlene Tilton from 1982-1984, and their daughter is country singer Cherish Lee. His commercial success cooled by the middle of the 1980s, but Lee has continued to record and tour in the years since. His official tour calendar shows live performances scheduled through the end of the year and into 2020.
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