AMY TURNER

Steve Ladd has spent his life singing about redemption, and this summer, he’s living out a smaller version of that story: recovery.

The artist, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and was once nominated for New Artist of the Year by the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, underwent a full hip replacement at the end of June. It wasn’t a routine procedure. Ladd had surgery on the same hip as a child, and the old complications resurfaced on the operating table. According to a Facebook post by his wife, Meagan, the surgery ran about an hour longer than doctors had planned.

Still, Ladd came through it, and by all accounts, he’s bouncing back fast. He’s already deep into physical therapy, and the reports have been encouraging. On Monday, he shared the news himself in a Facebook post that read like classic Ladd: equal parts gratitude and gospel fire.

“Therapist just left. He said everything looked great and that I’m doing good (movement wise),” he wrote. “I’m ready to get back to doing what I love to do and what I’m called to do… SING! Maybe this new hip will help me sing better?!”

That sense of calling has defined Ladd’s career for years. His music has always leaned into themes of faith and restoration, and his latest single, “Mercy Seat,” carries that same thread forward, exploring spiritual redemption, forgiveness, and what Ladd describes as unconditional freedom found through Jesus.

For an artist whose whole catalogue circles back to grace and second chances, a hip that’s giving him a second chance of its own feels almost fitting. Fans who’ve followed Ladd’s journey through the Gospel Music world will recognize the tone: humour, humility, and an eagerness to get back to the stage.

For now, Ladd is focused on healing. But if his Facebook post is any indication, it won’t be long before he’s back on the road, mic in hand, doing the thing he’s always said he was made to do.