Country Stars Who’ve Suffered Vocal Injuries

Some of country music’s most iconic artists have had near career-ending vocal injuries that we might have forgotten.

Just like athletes, country stars can do some damage to their bodies. Most artists sing every day writing songs, practicing their set and then performing on stage for hours. That has to put a lot of strain on a vocal muscle.

Most recently, Morgan Wallen canceled shows to give his famous voice a break. The “I Had Some Help” singer re-aggravated vocal damage he suffered earlier on his One Night at a Time Tour on a stop in Oxford, Miss., in 2023.

One of country music’s most signature voices, Josh Turner, had to go on vocal rest for a year in 1996 after developing a lesion on his vocal cord.

In the video above, Turner describes how this almost career-ending diagnosis showed him how to take care of his voice before it was permanent. He also insinuates this vocal rest saved his vocals and career.

Keith Urban experienced vocal issues for years and ended up with a more serious diagnosis because he never took care of the problem like Turner was able to do. The Aussie star developed a vocal polyp that he had to get surgery to fix in 2011. He detailed a successful vocal recovery, and he’s happy with the results, saying, “I don’t have to push the pedal down to 70 mph to reach those notes anymore.”

Check out the full list of country stars who lost their voices in the pictures below.

Nicole Taylor is part of Taste of Country Mornings With Wood and Nicole, which can be heard every morning LIVE on TasteofCountry.com and on the Taste of Country app from 6-10AM CT. Based in Nashville, the two hosts talk with country artists and go deep into the latest in the world of country music every weekday.