Joe Longthorne returns to Hull New Theatre

Hull legend and singing sensation Joe Longthorne is back in his hometown for one night only after recovering from a 12-hour operation to remove a tumour.
The 59-year-old "Hessle Roader", whose career spans more than 30 years, returns to the city today for the first time since battling mouth cancer. He will be performing new material as well as some of his big numbers for fans at Hull New Theatre and will be joined on stage by comedian Johnnie Casson. He said: "It's a great feeling to be back in my hometown for the concert. These days my home is in Blackpool but my heart belongs to Hull. I am coming up to my 60th birthday in May, these big birthdays always give one the chance to look back and reflect on one's life. It seems only yesterday but it's more than 50 years ago now that I first started singing as a small lad with my dear beloved mother and father . Singing has taken me all around the world but there's no greater feeling for me than to be heading back to Hull.”
Last May, Mr Longthorne was diagnosed with mouth cancer and had to undergo 12 hours of surgery to remove the tumour. “Looking back, the road to recovery was much longer than I first thought. My consultant warned me it would be a marathon rather than a sprint and how right he was," he said.” It was a strange six months. In the early days, singing seemed so very far away but then, as I recovered, it all came back in focus. I am always optimistic towards the future. I am feeling fine and undergo regular check-ups with my medical team. I would like to say to anyone reading this article, if you are worried about a medical problem, don't wait to get it checked out, go today.” The singer has been touring the country since January. He thanked family, friends and fans for supporting him throughout his road to recovery ( By Imthiaz Rehman)