Legendary vocalist of The Specials and Fun Boy Three vocalist Neville Staple has cancelled all upcoming tour dates after being diagnosed with a serious illness.

A statement issued on social media by his spin-off band From The Specials confirmed that Staple had been diagnosed with a serious heart defect in early December.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

At the beginning of December 2023, the legendary frontman Dr #NevilleStaple #FromTheSpecials was diagnosed with suffering from a serious Heart Defect.

Neville has been treated at 3 different hospitals and specialist have prescribed treatments and… pic.twitter.com/rps3wLxdGF

— From THE SPECIALS Neville Staple (@NevilleStaple) January 18, 2024

Staple, 68, has received treatment at three different hospitals, and has been prescribed medication and treatments to control his symptoms. The vocalist is now in stable condition, according to the update posted on X.

However, medical specialists had decided Staple needed to take a complete rest from touring and live performance. The singer had gigs and festival slots lined up for the coming year, all of which are now cancelled in light of the news.

Staple began his career in the late 1970s as a roadie for The Specials, but joined the ska revival outfit on stage at a gig supporting The Clash. After the group first split in 1981, Staple formed Fun Boy Three with previous bandmates Lynval Golding and Terry Hall, where they boasted a string of chart hits, some in collaboration with Bananarama. In December 2022, original frontman of The Specials and collaborator with Staple, Terry Hall, died of pancreatic cancer.

The Specials. Photography by Andy Earl.

In more recent years, the singer had been leading The Neville Staple Band alongside his wife and manager Christine 'Sugary' Staple, releasing the critically-acclaimed album Rude Boy Returns in 2004.

Staples' latest solo album, From The Specials & Beyond, was released back in 2021.

In an interview with Hot Press ahead of his performance at last year's Forever Young Festival, Staple spoke about his love for live performance, commenting: "I love being on stage. I've only lasted this long because I'm an entertainer, and the crowd gives you that energy.

Once you see them getting into it, you get much more buzz. Some people might go on stage and think, ‘I hope I'm going to be alright’, but I just want to show them my love for the music. Seeing them singing along, having a wonderful time, is all I need."

The statement from his team added: "Neville knows that his fans and followers will understand the decision that has had to be made and he wants them to know that he is in the best possible hands with his medical team, wife and family. He thanks you all for your love and support over the years and hopes to see you soon.

"Neville hopes to still attend personal appearances for charities, etc but will not be performing live shows," the announcement concluded.