Wilko Johnson Cancels Live Dates After Undergoing Surgery
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Written by Huw Baines
Wilko Johnson has cancelled all his forthcoming live dates after undergoing surgery, including sets at Glastonbury and T In The Park.
The former Dr Feelgood guitarist was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012 and subsequently embarked on a successful ‘farewell’ tour, as well as releasing ‘Going Back Home’, a collaboration with Roger Daltrey of the Who.
In a recent interview feature for GQ, author Tony Parsons described the procedure as “nothing less than a reprieve of a death sentence” after Johnson’s was discovered to be a neuroendocrine tumour, a rare and less aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. Parsons wrote:
“In an extraordinary twist of fate, he has had an operation that removed his football-size tumour, as well as his entire pancreas, his spleen, part of his stomach, parts of both his small and large intestines, and involved the removal and reconstruction of blood vessels relating to the liver.”
Johnson said of the operation, which was undertaken at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge:
"There is a small chance of dying. But that's nothing. Because for over a year I have been living with a 100 per cent chance of dying."
He added:
"October was my deadline. If I can use that word. But October had come and gone and a friend of mine - who is both a photographer and a cancer doctor - became curious as to why I wasn't dead. And why I wasn't even sick."
In a short statement, a representative said: "Dr Feelgood legend Wilko Johnson has today reluctantly had to cancel all of his public engagements. Doctors are hopeful that following the surgery the prognosis for Wilko will be positive."
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