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Adele Scraps Remaining 2011 Plans to Undergo Throat Surgery

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Call her Chatty Cathy: British soul-pop sensation Adele has been forced to cancel all remaining concerts and appearances in 2011 so she can undergo throat surgery to repair a hemorrhaged vocal cord — which she damaged by talking too much offstage, the Guardian reports.

Dr. Steven Zeitels, a Harvard professor and throat specialist who has treated Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler for a similar condition, says the problem is not a serious threat to Adele’s singing career. “It’s very fixable, basically,” he told Rolling Stone. “This is not something that’s a deal breaker, even remotely.”

Adele recently admitted to the Sun that her love of chatter is to blame. “I damage my voice offstage, not onstage,” she said. “Onstage I am fine as apparently I am technically great, but when I talk I damage my voice big time.”

No word yet on the surgery date. Zeitels added that the condition does not usually require surgery, but due to Adele’s repeated injuries, it’s become necessary.

The 23-year-old singer, whose new album 21 is the best-seller of the year, scrapped her 10-stop U.S. tour earlier this month. “Guys, I’m heartbroken and worried to tell you that I am yet again experiencing problems with my voice,” she wrote via her blog on October 4. “I follow all the advice I am given and stick to regimes, rules and practices to the best of my ability, but it seems to simply not be enough.”

She explained her long history with vocal problems in the post. “The fact is that I have never been able to fully recover from any of the problems that I’ve had … if I continue to pick up everything before I have properly conquered these problems and nipped them in the bud, I will be totally and utterly fucked. Singing is literally my life. It’s my hobby, my love, my freedom, and now my job. I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or I risk damaging my voice forever. I’m gonna [sic] smash the ball out the park once I’m touring again.”

A unidentified source in the concert industry told Rolling Stone that Adele is already planning to return next year to sate the unbelievable demand. “She’s holding arenas,” said the source. Another source said, “For a while, they were hopeful of arenas this fall, and then it started moving into next year.”

If you can’t wait to watch Adele perform, don’t fret: On November 29 the singer will release a live CD and DVD called Live at the Royal Albert Hall that was recorded at the legendary London venue on September 22.