Singer Jewel’s attempts to use “Dancing With the Stars” as a platform to boost her record sales may fizzle even before the show premieres March 8.
She’s currently out of commission with a bad case of tendinitis.
Jewel signed on to dance this season with her husband, former rodeo cowboy Ty Murray. In 2007, they appeared on another ABC reality series, “Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race,” which showcased celebs in a stock-car racing competition.
ABC is downplaying the seriousness of Jewel’s injury and the singer, who has sold 27 million records and over 1 million copies of her book of poems, “A Night Without Armor,” issued a statement through the network: “Yes it is true I have had a minor setback in my training for ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ but I am dedicated to getting better and showing the judges and America that I can cha cha with the best of them. Don’t count me out, as I am in this for the long run.”
The singer also detailed her injury on her blog, saying her left knee was hurting so badly during rehearsal that she went to her husband’s doctor, who diagnosed tendinitis and prescribed steroids to reduce swelling. But her physical therapist said she’d be “good to go by next week” if she takes time to recover.
“Ty warned me I was overdoing it and now he got a big ol’ ‘I told you so in,'” Jewel said.