Ahead of the rock band’s reunion tour in July, Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford has revealed that he has been secretly battling prostate cancer.
Until his interview with Spin Magazine yesterday, only his bandmates, close friends and girlfriend knew about his health issues.
Commerfod told Spin “I was with my girlfriend and we were watching the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on TV. Duran Duran was on and I was like, ‘Ah, fuck, 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.’
Commerford also added that while he’s taken pride in being in shape and taking care of his body, he explained: “I’ve been someone that’s taken a lot of pride in being in shape and taking care of myself. But 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 said.
While he tries to keep a positive mindset about it all, Commerford admitted that the illness has been difficult mentally.
“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.
But music is getting him through. Commerford has also been recording music for his other band, 7D7D.
“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.”
Prostate Cancer Help
If you are concerned about prostate cancer or prostate problems there is help out there.
UK: https://prostatecanceruk.org/
USA: https://www.pcf.org/
AUSTRALIA: https://www.pcfa.org.au/
CANADA: https://cancer.ca/en/about-us/prostate-cancer
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