Paul Cauthen is giving fans an update.
At the start of 2025, Cauthen announced that he would be canceling his tour dates, explaining at the time that he was prioritizing his mental health and was at peace with his choice to take care of himself. Fans were upset to hear that the shows would be canceled, but they understood that it’s important to prioritize mental health and rallied around him during this tough decision.
After taking a break from social media, he came back online to share a raw video telling fans why he’s been MIA: He’s been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
“You know, I had pneumonia on the road, and I was taking a bunch of steroids to get me through those shows, but something woke me up, and I was blue in my lips and white in my face, and just scared hell out of me. Went up to the front of my bus and talked to my bus driver, Tony. I was like, ‘Where are we?’ Looked at the front of the bus window, and it said Des Moines International Airport- next exit. I flew home. I kind of shook myself, you know, and listened to myself for the first time in a long time.
I decided to go up to the Cooper Clinic in Dallas after getting healthy for a few weeks, and wanted to get my body checked out. So I go up there and get a bunch of scans done and happened to be clear. Great heart, lungs, liver’s great – you know. But he said, ‘Well, we do have this one little spot…’ What he called a ‘hot spot.’
They found a mass in my right thyroid, and it, uh, they told me that it is papillary carcinoma. And it’s, uh, cancer.”
Cauthen said that, looking back on how things unfolded, he strongly believes that his choice to take some time away from the road ultimately saved his life. While he shared this news with fans with a heavy heart, he reassured viewers that he would be touring again.
After sharing that initial statement, Cauthen took another step back from social media, focusing on healing and getting back to “normal.” However, he returned to social media last night to share an update.
In the lengthy post, Cauthen shared with fans that he’s taking a holistic approach to curing his cancer, but also shared some frustration that he’s had some people telling him what to do to heal his body.
“I will not be bridled. I will not be told what to do. I have built this with my own blood, sweat, and tears. I am shrinking this cancer by the day. I have had to go my separate ways with a lot of folks because they cannot get behind my personal HOLISTIC approach to beating cancer.
I am ready to be back on the road. I am in the best shape of my life. To all you promoters and venues that put in the effort in these past shows, I had to cancel. You’re the first up! I owe you, and I’ll be there. I promise. We will be back.
I am sick and tired of all the people telling me how and what I should do with MY body. I’ve never experienced it more until this cancer announcement. Everybody is different! Everybody has their own right. I am behind anybody’s approach with their own will. I stand behind anybody with cancer! I will beat cancer. That’s final. God is good. Remember, don’t let too many spoons in your chili! I have just begun.”
Cauthen ended the post with a powerful message that he’s not be silent during this time and will keep fans in the know about his health, what’s in the works for hitting the road, and updates on new music. He’s breaking the norm and will share it all with his fans instead of “tactically” using cancer to help his career.
“I’ve been told to not post… Stay off social media… tactically use this for a comeback…. How about HELL NO! I am me. Won’t change. PLEASE SHARE AND TELL ME WHERE YOU WANT TO SEE ME PLAY! I’m on a mission to fulfill the gift God gave me. Music is coming soon. About to approach this entire thing differently. Done with the systematic cancerous game that comes along with show business. I’m unapologetically me. I love you guys so much. Thank you! -Cauthen”
Big Velvet is laying down the law. Given his following, I am sure many social media doctors are chiming in on what to do to get him back to his best health, and I can only imagine how frustrating that is. Cauthen didn’t have to share with fans what he’s going through; he chose to so they could be there to support him and rally around him, not because he wanted medical advice.
From this message, it sounds like he’s in good spirits and is feeling much better than he did in his initial announcement. Based on his Instagram stories, it appears that Cauthen is using food as a primary source of healing, focusing on keeping what’s going in his body clean and pure.
As for Cauthen saying he will not use his cancer as a career boost, I respect the hell out of him for that. We don’t know what’s being said behind closed doors, but given that Cauthen has outlaw tendencies, I am not surprised in the least that he’s doing the opposite of what he’s being told about his career.
Keep on fighting, Big Velvet. We are cheering you every step of the way.
