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LONDON (AP) – Stevie Wonder surprised concert fans in London on Saturday night by announcing that he was going to take a break to perform so that he could receive a kidney transplant this fall.
The music legend, aged 69, announced this news after performing "Superstition" at the end of a packed British Summer Time concert in Hyde Park.
He said he was talking to quell the rumors and sought to rebadure the fans that he would be fine.
"I'll do three shows and then take a break," he said. "I'm going to have surgery, I'm going to have a kidney transplant at the end of September this year."
He added that a donor had been found and that he would be fine, attracting the applause of a dedicated crowd of tens of thousands of people, who had been expanding as far as the eye could see since the scene.
"I came here to give you my love and thank you for yours," he said. "You will not hear any rumors about us, I'm fine."
He did not provide any additional information about his kidney disease. According to a recent report, Wonder was facing a serious health problem.
A Wonder representative did not immediately respond to a request for details regarding his state of health on Saturday. He kept an active schedule, including at a commemorative ceremony in Los Angeles for the murdered rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Wonder, who has received more than two dozen Grammy Awards, has produced a series of successes over a long career that began when he was a young actor portrayed by Little Stevie Wonder. Among his clbadic hits are "You're the sun of my life" and "Living for the city".
Wonder was in great shape throughout the concert, performing a series of his hits and paying tribute to musical heroes, including Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon, captivatingly performing "Imagine" at the end of the show.
It was a joyous event, with its fans feasting on the hot summer night – though a slight drizzle fell by the end – and the all-career retrospective that evoked the debut of Wonder in as a young Motown star.
He seemed less emotive than in the past and announced his state of health in a dark tone with a stern look. But he smiled as he left the stage with the group playing the memorable conclusion of "Superstition" one last time.
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Associated Press television writer Lynn Elber in Los Angeles contributed.
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