Soul singer Charles Bradley, who has savored commercial stardom in his 60s after decades of scraping by, on Wednesday canceled all upcoming shows due to a new cancer scare.

The 68-year-old, who had triumphantly returned to stage after a stomach cancer diagnosis a year ago, called off 37 dates until the end of the year in North America, South America and Europe.

Bradley "began to feel run down during recent tour dates and learned that his cancer spread to his liver, though hasn't returned to his stomach," a statement said.

"He will be taking time off to focus on treatment and recovery," he said.

Bradley, who frequently infuses his Christian faith into his music, said in the statement: "When I come back, I'll come back strong, with God's love."

A Florida native, Bradley as a teenager in New York discovered soul legend James Brown at the Apollo Theater and later found a career as an impersonator.

But even with a rich voice that evokes soul greats such as Otis Redding, he enjoyed little mainstream success on his own until the New York soul label Daptones signed him in the 2000s.

He released his debut studio album in 2011. His third and latest album, 2016's "Changes," figured on several music magazines' lists of the year's top albums and, despite Bradley's Christian beliefs, featured a remake of occult-dabbling metal band Black Sabbath in its title song.

Source: AFP