Ray Price Cancer Diagnosis Hasn’t Slowed Legend Down

Ray Price has revealed he's battling pancreatic cancer, but the 86-year-old country legend refuses to let the disease stop him from entertaining his adoring fans.

"The doctor said that every man will have cancer if he lives to be old enough," the singer tells the San Antonio Express-News. "I don't know why I got it -- I ain't old."

This is Price's second cancer scare. In 2009, he underwent surgery to remove polyps from his colon. The music icon's latest diagnosis came after gallbladder surgery revealed a tumor. He endured six months of chemotherapy and is happy to report the tumor has not grown and he feels fine. In fact, he headlined a concert in Floresville, Texas, just this past weekend.

But the "Heartaches by the Number" singer isn't out of the woods yet. Doctors informed him that the only possible cure will come from a nine-hour surgery during which his pancreas and part of his liver and stomach would be removed. Price is opting out of the surgery.

"They said that if you live through that, you run straight to the nursing home. That's not very much of an option for me. God knows I want to live as long as I can, but I don't want to live like that."

And he has plenty of living left to do. The Country Music Hall of Famer will hit the studio later this month to record a new album called Love Songs. He also insists he's determined to perform at least 100 shows in 2013.

Watch Ray Price Perform 'For the Good Times' on the Opry

Download Ray Price Songs

Follow @thebootdotcom on Twitter | Like The Boot on Facebook