Stevie Wonder says he’s getting a kidney transplant in fall

Stevie Wonder surprised concertgoers in London Saturday night by announcing that he will take a break from performing so that he can receive a kidney transplant this fall.

The 69-year-old music legend made the announcement after performing ” Superstition ” at the end of a packed British Summer Time concert in London’s sprawling Hyde Park.

He said he was speaking out to quell rumors and sought to reassure fans that he would be okay.

” I’m going to be doing three shows then taking a break, ” he said. ” I’m having surgery. I’m going to have a kidney transplant at the end of September this year. ”

He said a donor has been found and that he would be fine, drawing cheers from a devoted crowd of tens of thousands that stretched out from the stage as far as the eye could see.

” I came here to give you my love and to thank you for yours, ” he said. ” You ain’t gonna hear no rumors about us. I’m good. ”

He did not provide additional information about his kidney illness. There had been a recent report that Wonder was facing a serious health issue.

A representative for Wonder didn’t immediately respond to a request Saturday for details about his health. He has kept an active schedule, including performing recently at a Los Angeles memorial service for slain rapper Nipsey Hussle .

Wonder, who has received more than two-dozen Grammy Awards, has produced a string of hits over a long career that began when he was a youngster who performed as Little Stevie Wonder. His classic hits include ” You Are the Sunshine of My Life ” and ” Living for the City. ”

Wonder seemed in top form throughout the concert, performing a series of his hits and paying tribute to musical heroes including Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and John Lennon, performing a stirring rendition of the latter’s ” Imagine ” near the end of the show.

It was a joyous event, with his fans reveling in the warm summer night — though a light drizzle fell near the end — and the career-spanning retrospective that evoked Wonder’s early days as a young Motown star.

He did seem less ebullient than in the past and made his health announcement in a somber tone with a severe look on his face. But he was smiling as he left the stage with the band playing the memorable conclusion of ” Superstition ” one final time.