Paul Cauthen Reveals Diagnosis 1 Month After Canceling Tour: ‘I Will Sing on Stage Again’

The 38-year-old country singer said doctors recently discovered a mass in his right thyroid.

Paul Cauthen performs at the Hinterland Music Festival in St. Charles, Iowa, on Aug. 7, 2021. Rich Fury/Getty Images

One month after canceling his headlining tour, Paul Cauthen, a Texas-born country singer famed for his soulful baritone voice, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Cauthen, 38, shared the news in a recent Instagram video, noting that he decided to cut his tour short in Des Moines, Iowa, in order to prioritize his health.

“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 it just scared the hell out of me,” he said on March 13.

The “Black on Black” singer promptly flew back to his home in Tyler, Texas, to recover. A few weeks later, he decided to get a check-up at the Cooper Clinic, located about 100 miles away in Dallas.

Cauthen’s scans revealed his heart, lungs, and liver were in good health. However, doctors noticed “one little spot” on his thyroid, which they referred to as a “hot spot.”

“They found a mass in my right thyroid, and they told me that it is papillary carcinoma, and it’s cancer,” the singer-songwriter recalled.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer, accounting for about 80 to 85 percent of all diagnoses. The disease, which develops in the follicular cells of the thyroid gland, is rarely fatal if detected and treated early.

“Looking back at it all, you know, slowing down and taking some time to get healthy and getting off the road actually probably ended up saving my life,” Cauthen said.

“I have had a lot of time to reflect and realize that life is short and precious,” he continued, thanking his fans for their unwavering support.

“I will tour again, I will sing on stage again—I’m not done by any means. I'll have new music, I will keep on writing, and keep on doing what I know that I need to do. And I know that I’m a vessel on stage and that God has me here for a reason.”

Health Battle

In January, Cauthen embarked on his headlining tour in support of his latest album, “Black on Black,” released in October 2024.

However, the country singer announced that he would be postponing shows in Bloomington, Indiana, and Lexington, Kentucky, later that month after falling ill with an upper respiratory infection following his performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Jan. 25.

“I am currently on meds and trying my best to recover,” he shared via Instagram on Jan. 28. “I hate moving shows, but I have no choice.”

On Feb. 6, Cauthen’s team announced that the singer was canceling his remaining shows for the foreseeable future and returning to Texas to address his mental and physical health.

“We all love Paul very much and we are very happy and relieved that he has made this decision to put himself first,” the statement reads.

Cauthen’s health update was met with an outpouring of support from his devoted followers.

Paul Cauthen performs at the Palomino Stage during the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 26, 2024. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Stagecoach

Cauthen launched his music career as one half of the folk-rock duo Sons of Fathers, performing alongside fellow Texas musician David Beck.

The pair released their self-titled debut, “Sons of Fathers,” in 2011, putting out their sophomore album, “Burning Days,” two years later.

Nicknamed “Big Velvet” for his distinctive sound, Cauthen went on to pursue a solo career in 2016 with his debut record “My Gospel.”

He has since released “Room 41” (2019), “Country Coming Down” (2022), and his most recent album, “Black on Black” (2024).

Cauthen resides in East Texas with his wife, Elizabeth Cauthen, whom he married in 2021.