Friends and admirers of singer Lou Rawls told BlackAmericaWeb.com they are praying that Rawls recovers from his year-long battle with cancer.

Rawls, 70, is being treated for lung cancer, and his estranged wife said he also has brain cancer and suggested his condition is dire.

Rawls, however, vows to beat the disease.

"Don't count me out, brother," Rawls said recently from his room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "There's been many people who have been diagnosed with this kind of thing, and they're still jumpin' and pumpin'."

Rawls, in the interview with the Arizona Republic, said he has received alternative and traditional medical treatments for lung cancer. He said he quit his regular smoking habit 35 years ago.

Sherry Winston, the internationally renown jazz flutist and recording artist who has worked with Rawls over the years, said Rawls' influence on the entertainment industry is legendary.

"Lou Rawls was the voice of Black America," Winston told BlackAmericaWeb.com. "Whenever anyone needed a resonant sexy voice, before Luther Vandross, Lou was the only person to call. He was the voice of Budweiser, but he had the hearts of black women long before anyone else in the field of entertainment."

Winston described Rawls as the ultimate professional and a compassionate person.

"I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I was asked to co-host several shows with Lou," Winston said.

"I considered it quite an honor and enjoyed sharing the stage with him. Lou was very gracious when we filmed the shows together," she added. "He allowed me to take the lead and interview all of the guests on our shows, even though he was a well known and respected entertainer. Lou added so much to all of our interviews by adding his personal stories and keeping the interview down to earth and very real."

The lung cancer was diagnosed a year ago and the brain cancer in May, his estranged wife, Nina, said during a recent marriage annulment hearing in Arizona.

"By his doctor's admission, he is not expected to live much more," she said. Rawls' attorney, Robert L. Schwartz, attended the annulment hearing, but did not discuss the singer's prognosis.

Rawls' charitable work has included telethons that helped the United Negro College Fund raise nearly $200 million. Lou was the "tribute honoree" during the 25th airing of An Evening of Stars, where he was recognized for his role in creating one of the longest-running and most successful televised events in U.S. history.

"The prayers of the entire United Negro College Fund community are with our long-standing friend Lou Rawls and his family as he battles against cancer," Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of the UNCF, said in a statement.

Rawls was born in Chicago and grew up performing in the church choir and got his start in show business as a Gospel singer before turning to R&B, soul and pop. He has won three Grammy awards and sold more than 40 million albums.

"I am saddened to learn that singer Lou Rawls is being treated for lung and brain cancer, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

"For many years, Mr. Rawls has touched people's lives with his music and community service," Cummings said. "His charitable work with the United Negro College Fund has helped break the barriers to college education for thousands of African-Americans. I pray for his full recovery."

Rawls, who has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona since 2003, said in court papers that he is trying to annul his two-year marriage and protect hundreds of thousands of dollars of assets that his wife "absconded with." His estranged wife, who has worked as Rawls' manager since 2003, says she transferred nearly $350,000 into an account that she solely controls to prevent one of Rawls' two adult daughters from seizing the money.

Rawls' voice has been described as "sweet as sugar, soft as velvet, strong as steel, smooth as butter." His hits include "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing," "Dead End Street" and "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine."

He has also appeared on television shows and in movies, including "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Blues Brothers 2000."

"Lou's condition is serious," Lomax said, "but through our prayers, we know that he will come through this battle."