12/18/2005

in

At the annulment hearing, Lou Rawls' estranged wife told the court that the singer is not expected to live much longer.

Michelle Vaccaro

News of R&B singer Lou Rawls' illness became clear at his annulment hearing in Arizona. It was revealed in court that the 70-year-old Grammy award-winning singer was diagnosed with brain cancer in May and has been battling lung cancer for over a year. His estranged wife Nina told the court, "By his doctor's admission, he's not expected to live much more." The singer retorted, telling the Arizona Republic newspaper, "Don't count me out brother. There's been many people who have been diagnosed with this kind of thing and they're still jumpin' and pumpin'."  
  
Rawls looked to annul his two-year marriage to his wife because he wanted to protect his assets, which he said she ran away with. His wife, who acted as his manager for two years, claimed that she moved over $350,000 into an account to keep his daughters away from his money.