R. Kelly cancels event due to health emergency SINGER R. Kelly has cancelled a book launch in New York today due to a health emergency, according to reports. The singer was scheduled to be in New York to promote his memoir, Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me, which debuts Thursday from SmileyBooks. The singer's rep told TMZ that the New York appearance by Kelly was nixed "due to a health emergency that has sidelined Mr. Kelly in Chicago." The website subsequently reported that "initial indications" were that the health problem arose because Kelly was "suffering from complications from surgery he had last year to treat an abscess on his vocal cords." TMZ reported that, "It is unclear how long Kelly may be sidelined." Read more about R. Kelly at the New York Post