Performing Through The Pain: Why So Many Celebrities Deal With Body Pain In Silence
Celebrities may look flawless, but many are quietly dealing with body pain while performing, revealing a hidden side of fame and daily struggle. The post Performing Through The Pain: Why So Many Celebrities Deal With Body Pain In Silence appeared first on MadameNoire.
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Many stage and film performers work through body pain without breaking a sweat. Hip pain and lupus are some of the chronic conditions that have plagued performers from Toni Braxton to the late Prince.
Facing death didn’t stop some of our most beloved stars from leaving a creative mark. Chadwick Boseman battled colon cancer while making Black Panther and planned to film a sequel. Tammi Terrell sang through a malignant brain tumor and eight painful surgeries before succumbing to the illness at 24.
A National Health Interview survey by the CDC concluded that over 24% of American adults had chronic pain, with over 8.5% having it so bad that it limited personal and work activities. From celebrities who perform through painful inflammation to construction workers who continuously lift heavy items with a bad back, many people are putting their bodies at risk to make ends meet and meet contract obligations.
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What Celebrities Have Performed Through Body Pain?
Tammi Terrell continued to sing for Motown while battling a malignant brain tumor discovered after a stage collapse in 1967. Before passing away at age 24 in 1970, she made two of her greatest hits, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “You’re All I Need to Get By,” both in 1968.
Late Temptations founding member and original choreographer, Paul Williams, performed through the pain of sickle cell anemia until it forced his 1971 retirement.
The “Unbreak My Heart” singer Toni Braxton has experienced real-life heart issues due to lupus that have led to hospitalizations and a stage collapse. She continues to perform but recently had to end a Minneapolis concert early after only two songs due to an “unexpected personal emergency.”
Prince never phoned in a performance as he played several instruments, sang live, and jumped effortlessly off pianos in heels. His resulting hip and knee problems didn’t stop the Purple Rain star from literally performing in the rain at one of the most acclaimed Super Bowl halftime shows ever.
As the late Chadwick Boseman filmed the Black Panther and his posthumously Oscar-nominated performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, he was battling stage 4 colon cancer. Even costars and directors such as Ryan Coogler had no idea he was ill while filming.
The post Performing Through The Pain: Why So Many Celebrities Deal With Body Pain In Silence appeared first on MadameNoire.
