DALLAS — Dallas country singer Joshua Ray Walker says his cancer has spread to his lungs after he recently completed chemotherapy treatment.
Walker, who has been battling colon cancer, said in an Instagram post Tuesday morning that "multiple nodes of varying sizes" were found in both of his lungs. He plans to get a biopsy and start radiation treatment soon.
While Walker is awaiting more information from the biopsy, he said his cancer "will likely be restaged to stage 4."
"I will keep y'all as updated as possible and I will continue to fight my hardest," Walker posted. "The odds have definitely shifted, but I'm not going to publish them here. It seems defeatist, and unnecessary. I'll let you know what they were after I beat them. I've always lived life to the fullest and I will continue to do so."
The optimistic-but-forthright Walker described Tuesday's update as a bit of good news and bad news. The good news: Despite an "extremely tough" stretch of chemotherapy, his body handled it well and he's beginning to build his strength and immune system.
Walker has a launched a GoFundMe to help with expenses during his treatment and "focus exclusively on my health and relationships during this precious time."
As of Sept. 14, it had received more than $110,000 in donations.
"I have a hard time asking for help," he said, "even when I believe it will be given happily."
WFAA featured Walker and his cancer journey earlier this year, when he began a series of shows at the Kessler Theater in Dallas. Walker has since sold out the Kessler five times and played the historic Dallas venue a sixth time on Monday night. He also joined the Ottoman Turks for a show at the Granada Theater in Dallas in August.
Known for his non-traditional country and character-driven stories, Walker writes songs that he hopes makes fans feel things.
"Canyon" was his first hit, opening doors and scoring gigs for him. It's a song he dedicated to his father, who died more than seven years ago after his own bout with cancer.
But the cancer diagnosis has prevented Walker from touring beyond Dallas, and it came at the new apex of his career, in late 2023.
After feeling off for most of last year, Walker was hit with appendicitis, which led to the testing that uncovered cancer in and around his colon. He got the call about the diagnosis on his way to the airport, where he was flying to Los Angeles to perform on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.
In early January, Walker had surgery to remove parts of his colon, appendix and intestines. He started chemo six weeks after that -- and that continued through this summer.
When WFAA spoke to Walker earlier this year, he expressed both optimism and patience.
"People are going to forget I was gone for six months," he said. "I have a lot more music I want to make, and more art to create."