Jordin Sparks recently received a scare that apparently could have had a serious impact on her music career if it went unnoticed.
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The 18-year-old American Idol sixth-season champ was forced to cancel three performances over the weekend after experiencing vocal problems, The Associated Press reported Monday.
"Jordin Sparks is on vocal rest and is expected to make a full and complete recovery," Sparks' 19/Jive Records management team said in a Monday statement, according to The AP.
"Sparks has been going nonstop over the past two years and now she's going through the normal course of learning how to manage and care for her voice."
Sparks was scheduled to perform Sunday at Penn States's Bryce Jordan Center.
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However Bernie Punt, the venue's director of sales and marketing, told Penn State's The Daily Collegian newspaper that he was informed by Sparks' doctors that she has an "acute vocal chord hemorrhage" and would be "risking permanent damage" if she performed.
"Unfortunately Sparks is ill and has had to cancel some concert dates in order to get well as soon as possible," Sparks' publicist Tice Merriweather told The Collegian. "She is recovering well, and we are wishing her the best."
In addition to the Penn State appearance, Sparks pulled out of the first stop on Alicia Keys' 30-date North American "As I Am" tour, which commenced Saturday night and features the Idol champ as its opening act.
She was also forced to cancel a performance at the third annual Green Apple Festival in Washington D.C., where she was scheduled to sing the national anthem.
A vocal cord hemorrhage could be considered a serious problem if Sparks were to attempt to sing through it, hence the cancellation of her most recent and upcoming performances.
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"All of her April activities have been postponed or canceled so she can take care of her voice properly," 19/Jive Records spokeswoman Wendy Washington told The AP.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio