14 DAY TRIAL // Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys has chosen the most original and unexpected way of announcing fans that the band will not be keeping to the preset schedule on account of a medical emergency. The 45-year-old star has been diagnosed with salivary gland cancer and is about to undergo surgery to remove the tumor and radiation, he says in a video posted online, as ArtsBeat can confirm.
In the 3+-minute video, Adam sits down with friend and colleague Adam Horovitz in front of the camera placed in what looks like a small recording studio to break the news of the cancer to fans. At first, as ArtsBeat also points out, both are trying to make light of the situation, which is far from being a matter of jokes.
“This is crazy.” Yauch says as both men laugh. “It’s not funny.” Horovitz agrees, after which Yauch suddenly stops laughing and, staring into the camera, adds, “It’s not funny. It’s dead serious. I have some pretty heavy news.”
“Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys announced Monday, by way of a homemade video placed without fanfare on the band’s Web site, that he would be receiving treatment for cancer and that as a result the group would cancel some future shows and push back the release of a new album. He did not give specifics of the veteran hip-hop group’s plans in the 3 minute 23 second video. Its next scheduled appearance is at the All Points West Festival in Jersey City on July 31.” ArtsBeat writes of the announcement.
Before announcing the cancer diagnosis, Yauch first launches into a detailed description of all his symptoms. However, once he does say what’s wrong with him (“I actually have a form of cancer in the [salivary] gland, the parotid gland, and also in the lymph node.”), he assures fans that, while this might sound like much, doctors have offered him assurance that it’s a “very treatable” form of cancer that will only keep him away from the music scene for so long, a little while, as Yauch himself puts it.
“It is a little setback, a pain in the [expletive], but it is treatable in most cases and people don’t have continued problems with this.” Yauch shares, assuring fans that doctors can now tell that the tumor will not affect his voice and that it has not spread to other organs of the body. Still, he does have to undergo surgery and then perhaps radiation as well, which is why all Beastie Boys projects are being pushed back indeterminately for the time being.
For more on this, keep an eye on this space. Below, you will find the video with Adam Yauch’s announcement.