Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford revealed that he has been battling prostate cancer.
Speaking with Spin in an interview published Monday, the 54-year-old rocker explained that he received the diagnosis two months before the band was set to embark on their reunion tour in July.
"I've been dealing with some pretty serious s**t," Commerford said. "Right before I was about to go on tour with Rage, I had my prostate removed, and I have prostate cancer."
Commerford explained that he only shared his diagnoses with a handful of people, including his bandmates and girlfriend, but even then he was reluctant to say anything. It was only after learning that Duran Duran's original guitarist, Andy Taylor, was sharing his battle that he decided to open up about it.
"I was with my girlfriend and we were watching the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on TV," Commerford explained. "Duran Duran was on and I was like, 'Ah, f**k, I used to learn those songs when I was a kid.' I saw them on stage and wondered, where's Andy Taylor and why do they have this other guy in here?! Then it was like, 'Andy Taylor is suffering from Stage 4 prostate cancer and is unable to make it.'"
Commenting on his health, Commerford added that he had taken "a lot of pride in being in shape and taking care of myself" but when it came to cancer "it’s something where either you’re either lucky or not."
"I hope there's one person who reads this and is like, F**k, I need to get checked out, when they find out about it," he added.
During the interview, Commerford also admitted that the illness has been difficult mentally.
"Whatever it is, it makes me wonder if it’s happening because I have cancer, and prostate cancer is a very, very, very tough one because it’s connected to your sexuality. It’s hard to disconnect from that and when you’re forced into that situation, it’s a brutal psychological journey," he said.
However, music has been giving him the strength to fight the cancer.
"I’m trying to get to the 100-song mark — I have some goals now," he replied when asked about his positive outlook. "Songwriting has become a catharsis for me. Back to the original question, How do I find the time? That’s all I’ve got, is time."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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