Sheryl Crow Explains Why She Wanted to Make a Movie About Her Life — and How a Mammogram Saved It

Grammy-award winning artist Sheryl Crow is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 2006, and since being in remission, has worked to raise awareness about the importance of early detection.

When it was suggested to me at the start of the pandemic it was time to make a documentary about my life and career, I was hesitant at first. But quickly I realized that the opportunity to tell my story — my whole story, from my perspective — was one that not everyone gets in life. For someone like me, especially, who has lived three decades in the public eye, dealing with preconceived notions of my identity based solely on song lyrics or tabloid rumors, making a movie felt like a refreshing and cathartic way to enter into a new decade of life.

But this is not the first time I've opened my personal life to the public. In fact, I've spent the past decade sharing my experience with breast cancer with women across the world — from my fans to their sisters, daughters and mothers — in the hopes that they will learn from my experience and prioritize their health. It's so important to me because I came incredibly close to missing the opportunity to find my cancer early.

As I share in my documentary Sheryl, 2006 was a particularly tumultuous time of my life. I was going through a public breakup and battling with paparazzi, all while trying to focus on my career. I've always been a healthy person who prioritized eating well and exercising, but at that time it seemed impossible to focus on anything other than getting through each day and keeping my career going. Naturally, I found myself tempted to delay my annual mammogram visit — like so many women do when dealing with stressful periods of life, whether during a pandemic, career change, family issues, or just the daily grind.

Fortunately, I kept that appointment, and my breast cancer was found early, giving me an opportunity to begin treatment and move on with my life. Since then, there have been countless advancements in breast cancer screening, including the Genius 3D mammography exam, which has been shown to detect more invasive cancers and is clinically proven superior to 2D mammography for all women, including those with dense breasts. This advancement not only finds more invasive cancers, but it also reduces callbacks, which can cause unnecessary stress and worry for women who already have enough on their plates without having to deal with going back to the doctor for a second screening only to find there is nothing to be concerned about.

For the majority of women, breast cancer is treatable if caught early. My story is a testament that you can go on to live a long, healthy life after diagnosis. As a breast cancer survivor who credits early detection for saving my life, I have made it part of my life story to help educate women about the importance of scheduling their annual mammograms. It's my hope that women who watch Sheryl will be inspired to advocate for themselves in all aspects of their lives, especially when it comes to preventive health screenings.

Sheryl Crow is also the spokeswoman for the Genius™ 3D Mammography™ exam. Learn more at Genius3DNearMe.com and watch Sheryl on Showtime.