Former lead singer of the Gap Band and current solo R&B artists, Charlie Wilson has announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September and is currently undergoing treatment.  In a statement released Thursday, Wilson said that his prognosis is “excellent” and while his Jive album “Uncle Charlie” is due Feb. 17, he is focused on spreading the word about prevention along with the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) .

“When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September, I thought to myself ‘I’m too young… this isn’t a cancer I should be getting,’” says Wilson. “While I was surprised to discover that this disease strikes one out of every six American men, I was astounded to learn that African American men are 1.6 times more likely than others to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. My wife, Mahin, and I are very fortunate. I was lucky to be diagnosed and begin treatment early. My prognosis is excellent.“

Wilson, who started a course of therapy on Nov. 21 says he’s fortunate that his cancer was detected early. His focus now is to use his experience to help others.

“For years I’ve spent my life performing,” explains Wilson. “Now I need to spend time informing. Although men are 35 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than women are to be diagnosed with breast cancer, no one seems to talk about the disease. We men don’t want to consider or vocalize our vulnerabilities. It was my wife who kept after me to see my doctor for a screening. I thank God she did. Now I feel compelled to spread the word about prostate cancer.”

Wilson will be using his upcoming tour to support his album to also deliver the message of early detection and treatment.