If you’ve ever found yourself humming that high-octane "Roundball Rock" theme from the NBA on NBC or catching a bit of "Intelligence for Your Life" on the radio, you've definitely encountered the work of John Tesh. He’s a staple of American media. But lately, people aren’t just asking about his piano skills or his investigative journalism days on Entertainment Tonight. They’re asking about his age and, more importantly, how he’s doing after some pretty scary health battles.
So, let’s get right to it.
As of right now, in early 2026, John Tesh is 73 years old. He was born on July 9, 1952.
He’s just months away from hitting the 74-year mark. Honestly, when you look at his schedule—touring, broadcasting, and launching new digital platforms—it’s kinda wild to think he’s technically a septuagenarian. Most people his age are busy figuring out pickleball, but Tesh is still out here "shredding" on the piano and talking to millions of listeners daily.
How Old Is John Tesh and Why Does It Matter?
Why is everyone so obsessed with his age lately? Usually, when a celebrity’s age starts trending, it’s because of a health scare. In Tesh’s case, that’s exactly what happened. Back in 2015, when he was 63, he got hit with a diagnosis that would have leveled most people: stage III rare form of prostate cancer.
The doctors weren't optimistic. At all.
They basically told him to get his affairs in order. They gave him about 18 months to live. Imagine being 63, at the top of your game, and being told you won't see 65. It's heavy stuff. Tesh has been very open about the fact that he didn't handle it well at first. He’s talked about the "pity party," the drinking, and the reliance on painkillers to numb the fear.
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But here we are in 2026, and he’s 73. He beat the 18-month "expiration date" by a decade.
The Battle That Changed Everything
His journey wasn't a straight line to recovery. It was more like a war. After a radical prostatectomy in 2015, he thought he was in the clear. Then 2017 happened. An MRI showed the cancer had migrated to his lymph nodes.
Then it came back again in 2020 during the height of the pandemic.
He woke up one morning in October 2020 with massive pain in both legs. It turned out two tumors were wrapping themselves around his organs. He ended up losing the use of one kidney. Throughout all of this, his wife, Connie Sellecca, was basically his commanding officer. She pushed him to find the best specialists at MD Anderson and wouldn't let him give up when things got dark.
He often says, "I shouldn't even be alive now." It’s not hyperbole.
What John Tesh Is Doing at 73
You might think someone who has been through chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, and a "terminal" diagnosis would be taking it easy. Nope. Not Tesh.
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He’s currently focused on a few major things:
- Intelligence for Your Life: This brand is massive. It’s not just a radio show; it’s a lifestyle platform that reaches something like 14 million people a week.
- TeshTV: This is his relatively new 24/7 streaming platform. He uses it to share the same kind of "life hacks" and inspiration that made his radio show famous, but with a more personal, visual touch.
- New Music: He actually released a new album recently—The Sports Album—which features a new version of "Roundball Rock."
- Grandparenting: He’s a grandfather of three now. He spends a lot of time with his daughter Prima and son Gib’s families.
The "Intelligence" Behind the Age
Tesh’s whole brand is based on "Intelligence for Your Life." It’s fascinating because he’s applied that same data-driven, research-heavy approach to his own aging and health. He doesn't just "hope" to stay healthy; he’s a student of it. He talks a lot about the "mind-body connection" and how his faith helped him reframe his identity from a "sick person trying to get well" to a "healed person resisting sickness."
It sounds like a small distinction, but for him, it was the difference between life and death.
Misconceptions About John Tesh's Career
Because he’s been around for so long, people sometimes pigeonhole him. If you’re a Gen X-er, you probably remember him as the guy on Entertainment Tonight with Mary Hart. If you’re a sports fan, he’s the guy who wrote the greatest basketball theme ever. If you like New Age music, he’s the guy who played Red Rocks in the rain.
But the guy started as an investigative journalist.
He won an Associated Press award for it. He covered the Tour de France and the Olympics. He’s won six Emmys. He’s not just a "piano guy"—he’s a legit media mogul who has successfully pivoted his career about five different times. That kind of longevity is rare.
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Real Talk on Prostate Cancer
Tesh is very vocal about the fact that prostate cancer is a "couple's disease." He and Connie have made it a bit of a mission to counsel other couples going through it. He’s honest about the fact that it almost broke his marriage. The combination of physical pain, the side effects of hormone therapy (which he says basically turned him into a "menopausal woman" with night sweats), and the emotional toll is brutal.
His advice to men now? Get checked. He was diligent about his checkups, and even then, his PSA levels weren't high. It was a physical exam (the DRE) that actually caught the tumor. If his doctor hadn't been thorough, he wouldn't have made it to 73.
Actionable Insights: Lessons from John Tesh’s Journey
If you’re looking at John Tesh and wondering how he’s still so high-energy in his 70s after all that, there are some takeaways you can actually use.
- Be Your Own Advocate: Tesh and Connie didn't just take the first "get your affairs in order" speech as the final word. They researched. They went to MD Anderson. They found the experts who were doing 1,000 cases like his instead of 50.
- The Power of Purpose: He didn't stop working. He found that having a "ministry" of helping others through their health struggles gave him a reason to keep fighting.
- Vigilance vs. Worry: Tesh distinguishes between the two. Worry keeps you up at night with "what ifs." Vigilance is having a plan and sticking to the follow-up scans.
- Embrace the "Suffering": He often tells his audience that suffering is part of the human deal. Instead of asking "Why me?", he asks "What now?"
John Tesh at 73 is a lot different than the John Tesh of the 1980s. He’s grittier. He’s more spiritual. He’s definitely more transparent. But he’s still that same 6-foot-6 guy with a lot of "intelligence" to share.
If you want to keep up with his health or his latest "life hacks," the best place is usually his "Intelligence for Your Life" podcast or his social media, where he’s surprisingly active. He’s living proof that a "terminal" diagnosis doesn't always have to be the end of the story—sometimes it’s just the start of a very long, very successful second act.
Next Step: Check your own health screening schedule. If John Tesh’s story teaches us anything, it’s that being "overdue" for a physical is a risk you don’t want to take. Reach out to your doctor and make sure your screenings—prostate, colon, or otherwise—are up to date. It literally saved his life.