Whenever we admire a singer on stage, it’s easy to forget that these people have lives and problems of their own.
You may know British singer Jessie J. from her hit song “Bang Bang,” featuring fellow pop stars Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, but the 30-year-old has actually been performing since she was just 11 years-old. Jessie’s career has had its share of ups and downs, and recently she revealed a private health battle she’s been fighting behind the scenes.
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Jessie inherited a condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White disease from her father and grandfather. The disease causes an irregular heartbeat that can wreak havoc on the body. Jessie spent her childhood in and out of a hospital bed, and she even suffered a stroke when she was just seventeen.
“It doesn’t go away, sadly,” Jessie explained. “It’s just something that I’ve had to deal with since I was a child, and it pushed me to get stronger. It’s just part of who I am.”
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While she’s been able to keep her health problems under control, for the most part, the singer hit a big roadblock in 2015 that sidelined her career. While appearing as a judge on “The Voice, Australia,” she received more bad news about her health.
“In the two years that I did The Voice in Australia, I was diagnosed with some health issues that I’m not ready to talk about that I had to really face as a woman,” she said. She also confided that her grandparents around this age, and she found herself mired in grief and worry.
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“The hardest part about being an artist is that you have to open your wounds to heal other people’s and you don’t often get the time to heal your own.”
Now, Jessie feels strong enough to make a comeback, but she’s doing so in a unique way. The established singer is going back to basics by appearing on a Chinese singing competition called “Singer,” but this time, not as a judge; as a contestant.
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On one episode, Jessie surprised audiences worldwide with a powerful performance of a Celine Dion song that had a special meaning to her because of her heart condition. She sang “My Heart Will Go On,” a ballad made famous by the “Titanic” soundtrack.
Jessie explained on Instagram:
“I picked this song for episode 9. I flew to China from London for rehearsals. Over night I fell really unwell (I suffer with a heart condition and other health issues that cause me to have sudden / severe pain) and knew my priority was to fly back to London to be with my doctors. I left just 18 hours after arriving in China. It was one of the hardest / longest flights of my life. Not because of the pain and the fear when I get that unwell. I also hate letting anyone down.”
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Although her doctors advised her not to fly, Jessie’s drive to please her fans prompted her to return to China to perform her song. Although she admits that when watching a recording of her performance, she can see the fear and passion in her eyes, she is proud of herself for persevering and not being defined by her illness.
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“I am a fighter. My health has been my biggest personal battle for me as long as I can remember,” she wrote. “I have never wanted to be defined by my health. Trust me I’m not sharing this story looking for sympathy. I’m sharing it because it’s my truth, and I hope it can Inspire someone else that can’t control when their body decides ‘No not today.’â€
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Watch Jessie’s inspiring and beautiful performance below, and share!
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