Charlie Wilson Has Been Sober for Almost 30 Years

Musician and famed member of the Gap Band, Charlie Wilson, has become a well-recognized icon in the R&B world. Even though Gap Band's tenure came to end in the 80s, Charlie went on to continue to make music as a solo artist -- a venture that would earn him 13 Grammy nominations, two NAACP Image Awards (and nine additional nominations, as well as a star on Hollywood Boulevard.

But despite his immense success, Charlie's career hasn't been filled with just highs. In between all of these successes, he's also battled addition and homelessness, as well as a battle with prostate cancer. But how is Charlie doing now? Here's an update on the iconic musician's health.

As Charlie's fame increased, so did his partying. He admitted in an interview with Variety that the fame eventually introduced him to alcohol and cocaine, saying, “before we got out of hand with alcohol and drugs and craziness, it was fun."

His solo debut, "You Turn My Life Around," was released in 1992, but just one year later, he was homeless. In between that time, he admitted to sleeping in alleyways off the famous Hollywood Boulevard, calling that period "my rock bottom time."

“And once you’re on that curve, ain’t but one way back, and that’s up. So I prayed, ‘Lord, it’s too crowded down here, please take me up off this curve,'" he told the outlet.

It wasn't until an embarrassing interaction with Andre Hall, who offered Charlie a deal (despite the actor finding him in the middle of a days-long high), that he admitted to getting sober. In 1995, he went to rehab.

Charlie has now been clean from drugs and alcohol for almost three decades, which has helped him maintain his steady stream of collaborations with many notable musicians, including Snoop Dogg, Bruno Mars, Pharrell, and many others. Though it's taken a lot of work (and steady monitoring from his wife), he's maintained his sobriety.

“My voice still sounds the same because I haven’t put anything on it in almost 30 years,” he continued. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, everything’s just water. And I believe in God strongly. When God gives you something, he don’t take anything away from you.”

Thankfully, when Charlie was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, it was still in its early stages, making for a relatively quick battle with the disease. Be underwent radiation implants, effectively killing the cancer cells, and he's been in remission ever since.

But as another roadblock in Charlie's life, he's been outspoken about his experience, encouraging in fans to get tested early.

In 2010, Charlie was working with the Prostate Cancer Foundation, per the Associated Press. During his tour that year, he encouraged fans, specifically Black men, to get tested early, encouraging them to catch it early, as early detection is the key to battling most cancers.