Paul Cauthen is still kicking cancer’s a**.
Big Velvet recently joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and had plenty to share about his latest album, Book of Paul, and life in general. The country singer discussed how he got the nickname “Big Velvet,” why he likes to listen to music in languages that he can’t understand, and told us that he’s a big fan of artists like Jake Worthington, Stephen Wilson Jr., Kacey Musgraves, and Marcus King, among other country artists.
Cauthen made sure to also shout out his fans for being there for him during his cancer journey. He told us that he felt and heard all the prayers that were sent his way when he shared the news of his diagnosis, and more than anything, he’s thankful for how his fans supported him once they found out he had cancer:
“They came out and sold out every show that I’ve put on. I’ve played a lot of small venues that were there for me in the beginning of my career, and I went back to those because I knew that was a family, home place where I could really be myself and really talk about it…
Just me and a barstool. They came out and they listened and they sang. They kept me alive, kept my wife fed, kept my baby fed, kept the bills paid. That’s when you know it’s real. It’s not just the validation through financials. It’s the fact that they support you so much and they care more than just the song. It’s about your life.”
That meant the world to Paul Cauthen.
As for his cancer battle, Big Velvet shared some very promising news. The cancer on his thyroid has actually shrunk, and in even better news, the mass has calcified:
“The cancer has shrunk. Now it’s calcified. It’s about to… I’m over it. I’ve gotten through it. It’s been a blessing… It’s gone from a five millimeter, about the size of a marble in my right thyroid lobe. Now, it’s gone down from five millimeters to three millimeters to two, then it just sticks around 2 and it’s fully calcified.
My body has put calcium all the way around this. It’s just right in the middle and it’s not harming anything. It’s not moving. Every three months, I do a check up and a sonogram. I stay on top of it. I diet in a way to where I’m not feeding too much glucose. It hasn’t gone up, but that can happen.”
The way Cauthen described it, calcification of the area is letting him know that his body is fighting the cancer – and fighting it hard.
The “Ain’t No Crime” singer went on to detail his wholistic approach to fighting cancer, which mainly focuses on cutting out glucose from his diet. He described glucose as the gasoline that powers cancer, so he’s cut that out completely as he’s navigated his cancer journey on his terms:
“You can try other things. I’m not saying it’s not smart to go get surgery or get something taken out of your body. I’m not ever gonna say that. I believe in all medicine, not just some. I believe in all types of recovery, not just one. Everybody else told me not to (do this and get surgery). My wife and I are so thankful I didn’t.”
@whiskeyriff 🙌🏼 @Paul Cauthen #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff
Cauthen strayed away from having conventional treatment for a multitude of reasons, including the issues and symptoms that can come with surgery and radiation. He didn’t want his voice to be affected, and he preferred to not be dependent on pharmaceuticals for the rest of his life.
In a way, Paul Cauthen is thankful for his diagnosis, only because it’s pushed him to be the healthiest version of himself. Or as he put it:
“I told my wife, ‘In the end, cancer is going to save my life.’ I’m mindful of my blood, I’m getting tested. If anything kind of comes up weird, I’ll know…
Any of you, it’s not bad to go get checked up. Especially if you are touching 40. It’s about time to get everything checked. You never know. But don’t let it freak you out. It doesn’t matter what stage they tell you you’re in. It can be beaten someway or somehow.”
Consider that a Paul Cauthen PSA.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out Book of Paul, make sure to go do so. And you can hear more from Big Velvet by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here.
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
Cheers, y’all.
