Country music singer Kevin Sharp died of "ongoing complications from past stomach surgeries and digestive issues," according to the Associated Press.
The artist's website reported that the 43-year-old singer died Saturday evening at his mother's Fair Oaks, Calif., home. Through tears and exhaustion, the country singer's sister Mary Huston said her brother had a "strong heart, that's what kept him alive, (but) I'm so happy for him, that there's no more suffering."
"We are saddened to announce the passing of Platinum Country Recording Artist Kevin Sharp on Saturday April 19, 2014 at 10:00 pm PST," a message on the website said.
Sharp was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer as a high school senior. He was treated for the disease but later suffered problems in life due to the radiation and chemotherapy he underwent, Sharp's mother, Elaine Sharp said.
While battling with cancer Sharp was contacted by the Make-A-Wish foundation, who arranged a meeting with music producer David Foster, who produced his favorite band, Chicago. The meeting later led to a record deal. Months later, doctors told Sharp that he'd beaten the cancer.
"Four months into this new treatment, a woman I'd never seen before came to my bedside in the hospital," Sharp wrote, in a 2006 story for Guideposts magazine, according to USA Today. "'I'm from the Make-A-Wish foundation,' she said. 'We'd like to fulfill a wish of yours. Going somewhere you've never gone. Doing something you've never done. Or meeting someone special. ... You give me the name and we'll do everything possible to make it happen.'"
"If there is one thing that might be more shocking than hearing a death sentence, it's hearing that death sentence lifted," Sharp wrote. "Finding your way back into life after being taken out of it for so long is harder than you might imagine."
Sharp later become a motivational speaker for Make-A-Wish foundation and wrote a book about his experience. Sharp's health worsened in 2011, and he underwent numerous surgeries for leg infections.
"His dream came true through music, and he touched thousands of lives, and he helped heal the soul of people dealing with cancer," Huston said.
Sharp gained fame with "Nobody Knows," a single on his 1996 debut album. He also released "Love Is" in 1998 and "Make A Wish" in 2005.
Sharp is survived by five brothers, two sisters and his mother.
