Legendary Chicago house DJ/producer Roy Davis, Jr. has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Davis, who is known for producing classics including “Gabriel,” made the announcement today on Facebook. “At the beginning of last week I woke up in my home in Chicago being unable to walk after having felt weak for a few days before. I was rushed to hospital and spent the remainder of last week undergoing tests and having scans whilst being put on put on various interim medications. During the weekend, I received the news that I have been diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) – An illness I have known people close to me who have suffered from but I never expected to find myself here, diagnosed myself. Something that is a very difficult thing to swallow after hearing.”
Davis says he will spend the next few weeks in and out of the hospital “getting back to walking with the help of my incredible doctors and various medications. I will then spend the following weeks at home recovering, not touring and with any luck going into remission. My April shows have either been rescheduled or sadly cancelled. Despite how shocked I may still be, and with the knowledge that coming to terms with the impact of this diagnosis may take a while to really understand, and, despite the cancellations of shows, I wanted to write this to tell you all that I will not let this overcome me, I will, with the assistance of God, you, my incredible fiancé Jessie, my family, manager and team, take this simply as something to live with and overcome, finding strength within to keep going throughout. I will channel the energy that I will inevitably have to fight for now into making sure every show I play, or every track I make, is as special as I can make it, and with as much of my heart as I can give…..I’ll be back soon. I am planning to continue playing shows from May onwards just so long as my legs can walk me to the decks!”