The Truth Behind Zhang Yu's Years-Long Absence from Singing Revealed: Wife Discloses Rare Illness That Has Plagued Him for 20 Years, Wishing for a Cure Even at the Cost of Her Own Life

Zhang Yu appeared this month on the 11th as a guest at Yu Hongming's Beiliu concert. It was his first time on stage singing in eight years, and he easily hit high notes with the song “The Rain Keeps Falling”, dispelling past rumors of a ruined voice.

However, he has rarely appeared in public in recent years, and has almost not held any large-scale concerts, leaving many fans wondering when he would return to the stage. Now, the reason for his years-long absence has finally been revealed. His wife, Shiyilang, recently expressed her feelings in a post, disclosing that Zhang Yu has long suffered from “spasmodic dysphonia”, a rare condition.

The hardest thing for her to bear, however, is Zhang Yu’s long fight against the illness. She revealed that Zhang Yu has actually been suffering from spasmodic dysphonia for more than 20 years—a rare disease that affects control of the vocal cords. Over the years, he has sought medical help everywhere, trying Chinese medicine, Western treatments, and even spiritual healing; as long as there was a glimmer of hope he was willing to try it, but has never been able to completely cure the illness.

She admitted that Zhang Yu was under tremendous pressure while recording programs, especially when participating in singing competition shows—every performance left her in suspense, even afraid to watch the broadcasts. Even now, though he doesn’t dare to step on stage, Zhang Yu still practices singing every day to keep himself in shape, simply because he once said: “If I don’t sing, I might even have trouble speaking.”

Every word from Shiyilang was filled with heartache; she even prayed to deities, willing to give up some of her own life in exchange for Zhang Yu’s recovery: “Please don’t torment us like this anymore.” This year, Zhang Yu turns 59. The couple quietly celebrated his birthday, and she emotionally sent her blessing, hoping that after his fifties, everything will slowly get better.

Source: United