Junior Giscombe, whose real name is Norman, has revealed a revealing medical situation that led to the major operation to save his voice.
A legendary soul singer who was a big hit in the 1980s has revealed the details of his lifelong illness that prevented him from speaking or singing.
Junior Giscombe, who is best known for his 1982 hit Mama Used To Say and winning a Grammy for his song Do You Really Want My Love? that featured on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, told how his vocal chords collapsed suddenly, leaving him with a raspy, hoarse voice and barely able to speak following a performance in 2023.
He had a “voice-saving operation” at St George’s Hospital in London, followed by months of speech therapy, which enabled him to reclaim his voice and perform live.
Junior praised the “amazing” doctors who treated him, saying: “I’m incredibly grateful to the team at George’s because without them, I would have lost my voice and be forced to give up the job I’ve loved for almost 50 years. They have been incredible, and I have never felt the same way about any of the care I have received. I can’t stop yelling their praises.
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Junior recalled the moment he lost his voice on stage when the song “just disappeared.”
I initially believed I had a cold, but I soon realized something was wrong when it started to get worse and I couldn’t talk. There was no sound coming out of my mouth when I tried to speak with my wife; I needed assistance.
Junior realized that his 50-year career was over when he realized that. He continued, “It was incredibly terrifying to not be able to use my voice.”
“Over the years, I’ve done shows without getting warm up my voice.” I assumed that my voice would always be there because I never experienced any issues with it. I was afraid because having no voice means having no job.
Junior met with Elissa Finn and her team, a speech-language pathologist, as part of his treatment. He was instructed to use his voice in a manner that minimizes the vocal chord damage during these sessions.
This was a first for me because I’ve never had vocal training before,” Junior said. Working with Elissa and her team gave me the confidence I needed as I pondered, “Am I able to do this? ” after I ceased speaking. Thanks to the wonderful St George’s team, my voice has been saved and I can continue to sing, and I’m back doing what I love.
However, Junior cautioned people to look after their voices, whether or not they were singers. He continued, “Please don’t take my voice for granted as I did.” Look after it.
Speech therapist Elissa Finn explained: “There are a lot of reasons why a patient can lose their voice. It could be with overuse, age, or it could be caused by a health condition – so our sessions are always tailored to the patient’s needs.” If you notice a change in your speech or consistent soreness when speaking, the NHS recommends you see a doctor.
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Source: Mirror
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