R. Kelly sidelined by potential vocal issues

R. Kelly has been vocal about his voice issues. After the R&B; superstar underwent surgery last summer to drain an abscess on one of his tonsils, Kelly wrote about the operation and any speculation that he might have permanent voice problems in last year’s song, “Shut Up.” In the angry little slow jam, Kelly thanked the heavens for keeping the doctors focused and made it clear that his voice was in fine form.

However, Kelly doesn’t appear to be completely out of the woods yet. Like Adele, John Mayer and Maxwell before him, Kelly has had to put a temporary halt to performing due to what is believed to be a vocal cord issue.

Kelly, who just released his 11th studio album, “Write Me Back,” has canceled a planned trip to New York and “returned to Chicago for medical treatment,” according to a statement distributed by his publicity firm, 42West. Kelly was to appear on NBC’s “Today” on Thursday and the network’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on Friday.

The statement left some room for error. “Initial indications are that he is suffering from complications from surgery he had last year to treat an abscess on his vocal cords.” Last year’s surgery was on his tonsils. Kelly currently doesn’t have any concerts on the docket, but his Love Letter Cruise is set to sail from Miami in October.

“It is unclear how long Kelly may be sidelined,” read the statement from 42West. A spokesperson for his label, RCA Records, did not respond to requests for comment. Kelly was also heading to New York to celebrate the launch of his book, “Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me.”

Kelly has a history of rebounding from setbacks and controversy, most notably allegations of child pornography. He was acquitted in 2008.