Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Dies, Widespread Panic Cancels Concerts and More

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died of cancer.

Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, from Texas, died this week. She was 74 years old and undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.

“Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,” Lee’s family said in a statement.

Lee initially announced last month that she received a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and was undergoing treatment for the disease.

After Lee’s death was announced, government officials honored her on X (formerly Twitter) — including President Joe Biden who said, “I had the honor of working with her during her nearly 30 years in Congress. No matter the issue — from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people — she was unrelenting in her leadership. Jill and I send our love and condolences to her family, her constituents and beloved colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus.”

Widespread Panic canceled its concerts after their guitarist was diagnosed with cancer.

The American rock band, Widespread Panic, recently announced the cancellation of their concerts in Asheville, North Carolina, as their guitarist, Jimmy Herring, is undergoing treatment for stage 1 tonsil cancer.

An announcement from the band stated, “The Widespread Panic Family is sad to report that our Brother, Jimmy Herring, has been diagnosed with stage 1 tonsil cancer. He will begin treatment immediately and is expected to make a full recovery. That part we’re happy to report … Let the healing begin.”

Herring, who joined Widespread Panic in 2006, also played with The Allman Brothers Band, Jazz Is Dead and others, according to jambase.com.

Musician, Happy Traum died of pancreatic cancer.

Happy Traum — a musician who recorded with Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and others — died after undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer, according to a statement from his wife, Jane. He was 86 years old.

David Browne, a writer for Rolling Stone and author of “Talkin’ Greenwich Village,” wrote on X, “Such sad news about an important musician and absolutely lovely guy who I had the opportunity to meet and interview a few times. Happy embodied the best of his musical scene and generation…”

Traum was not the only person in his immediate family who died of cancer. His brother, Artie — who was also a musician — died of cancer in 2008.

A Nebraska senator was diagnosed with a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

State senator Jane Raybould of Nebraska’s District 28 recently announced that she received a diagnosis of splenic marginal zone lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“My prognosis is incredibly bright,” Raybould said to the Nebraska Examiner, mentioning that she will be undergoing her sixth round of chemotherapy in early August.

According to the American Cancer Society, marginal zone lymphoma tends to be slow-growing and can lead to fatigue and discomfort that comes from an enlarged spleen.

Raybould said that the support from her constituents is “overwhelming.” She said, “They want me to get back. They need me to get back. They want me to be in fighting form.”

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