Jess Glynne was finally able to speak out about her recent throat surgery two days ago and confirmed that it is gigs as usual and her life is finally returning to normal. She may have a Grammy and five number one hits to her credit -- something that even 27-club member and international superstar Amy Winehouse never accomplished -- but Glynne has had a hellish 18 months since having invasive throat surgery to remove a polyp. Fortunately for the singer, she had a good friend in Sam Smith, who was afflicted with a similar ailment at one point and was able to recommend a good doctor.
The benefit? The surgery would prevent hemorrhaging and further damage to her vocal chords. The risk? That she might lose her singing voice, as has been known to occur in a small number of patients. Not only did Glynne have to endure the surgery itself and cancel her U.K. tour with John Legend, she also had to spend three weeks in complete silence, only able to write out her thoughts on a whiteboard and wondering if she would ever be able to sing again. BBC also reported that she had to cancel dates at Glastonbury and the Isle of Wright Festival while she recovered.
She told Billboard after her first performance back, "It was so terrifying. I was right at the beginning of everything, and then wondering if it was all going to be over. It was one of the most traumatic things that has ever happened to me."
It's understandable why this would have caused the singer stress so early in her career, as Glynne first shot to the top of the charts in 2014 with "Rather Be," a collaboration with electronic group Clean Bandits that subsequently hit No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and jump started her career. Late last month (Aug. 21), she matched Cheryl Cole for the most amount of No. 1 singles in the U.K. by a female soul-pop artist and her first performances after surgery literally brought the star to tears.
"It felt so amazing to stand onstage and sing again," she said. "I cried loads. I'm a really emotional person."
Despite the emotions, Jess Glynne was clearly able to overcome great challenges as her debut album, I Cry When I Laugh, is out now and charting exceptionally well.
