(CNN) -- Country singer Kevin Sharp, best known for his hit "Nobody Knows," has died from "complications due to cancer," his mother said. He was 43. 

Sharp was diagnosed with cancer as a teenager. He was treated, and the disease did not reoccur, but he had problems later in life because of the radiation and chemotherapy he underwent, Elaine Sharp said. 

She said her son died Saturday night at her home in Fair Oaks, California. 

"He had a good, strong heart," she said. "He's not hurting anymore." 

His website added that he died "due to ongoing complications from past stomach surgeries and digestive issues." 

Sharp grew up wanting to be a singer. According to a 1998 story from Music City News, Sharp -- who grew up in a large family that included a number of foster children -- was a high school athlete and participated in a Sacramento, California, light-opera company. 

It was during his senior year in high school that he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that had spread to his lungs. The ailment led to Sharp meeting producer and songwriter David Foster through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 

Foster, known for his work with such artists as Celine Dion and Michael Buble, helped support Sharp through years of chemotherapy and a determination to wean himself from painkillers after the cancer went into remission. 

In the mid-'90s, after working at an amusement park to make ends meet, Sharp landed a record deal and went to No. 1 on the country charts with "Nobody Knows." He followed that hit with a handful of others, including "She's Sure Taking It Well" and "If You Love Somebody." 
did Sharp grow up in a large family?
 who grew up in a large family