Grammy-Nominated Jazz Vocalist Will Downing Encourages Black Men to Visit the Doctor
Will Downing made the mistake of neglecting his health while traveling on the path to music greatness. The Grammy-nominated vocalist’s infrequent visits to the doctor caught up with him in 2007 when he was diagnosed with a muscular disorder called polymyositis. Downing recently sat down with rolling out to discuss how the disease changed his life and inspired him to encourage other black men to be vigilant about their health. –amir shaw
Talk about how your life has changed in the past two years.
Two years ago, I came down with a muscular disease called polymyositis. It’s a muscular disease and the signs were there. I was out on the road and I was extremely fatigued. Instead of getting checked out, I blamed it on being on the road every night.
When did you first realize this was a serious problem?
It had gotten so bad that I couldn’t drive anymore. I took my wife to the movies and I couldn’t turn the steering wheel. My wife eventually took me to the hospital and I stayed there for about five months.
Was there a reason you didn’t go to the doctor sooner?
I was too stubborn to go to the doctor. As black men, we have this fear of going to the doctor. I am a living example that we all need to take care of ourselves.
What advice do you have for black men?
All men should make [it] a point to go to the doctor. Women do a better job of taking care of themselves when it comes health. Unfortunately, *William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry is going through the same exact thing as we speak. So it’s important that we pray for him.
*Perry is suffering from complications of Guillain-Barré (ghee-YAN bah-RAY) syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, causing weakness, tingling and numbness. He is expected to make a full recovery
