ATLANTA (AP) – Donnie McClurkin can hardly talk. Fred Hammond could barely walk. But the Grammy-winning gospel singers are preparing for the Festival of Praise Tour, which spans 31 cities.
The tour, which includes Minneapolis, Cleveland, Miami and Atlanta, kicked off this week as McClurkin recovers from surgery to remove precancerous cells from one of his vocal cords and Hammond recuperates after having a bilateral knee replacement. They are about halfway to full recovery.
“We’re not 100 percent, but trying to get better,” Hammond said. “But maybe people need to see that. We’re going to push forward through our imperfections.”
Hammond, 53, had surgery on both knees in January. He took his first steps after the procedure six months ago, but doesn’t yet have full range of motion in his legs.
Doctors removed an inch of scar tissue from McClurkin’s right vocal cord in mid-August. The 54-year-old singer discovered a cyst several months ago after having some difficulty singing. A biopsy revealed some precancerous cells.