Award-winning blues musician and Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee Marcia Ball announced her retirement after recently being diagnosed with ALS, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"As many of you may know or have heard, over recent months, I have been struggling with voice issues and have not been able to perform as I have always done," Ball said in a statement on Tuesday. "This has been frustrating for me since performing with my band and my musical friends has been my life."

"It is impossible to predict how this ALS diagnosis will impact my life fully," she added. "At this early stage however, I know that performing is something I can no longer do. I can't sing."

Ball, 76, cancelled all future performances as she receives treatment and care at UT San Antonio.

Ball grew up in Vinton, La., near the Texas border. Some of her earliest musical influences were Louisiana legends like Irma Thomas and Professor Longhair. Throughout her decades-long career, she won 11 Blues Music Awards, 14 Living Blues Awards and was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. She has long been a favorite at countless Louisiana music festivals. 

Read Ball's full statement here.