Billboard requires a JavaScript enabled browser to get the full experience

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch Has Cancer, Tour And Album Postponed

Comments

by David J. Prince, N.Y.  |   July 20, 2009 12:44 EDT

The Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo surgery, he announced in a video posting on the group's website this morning. The band has canceled its summer tour plans and delayed the release of its forthcoming album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," in order to allow time for his recovery.

According to the video announcement, Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left salivary gland last week, and while it is localized to that area and is treatable, immediate surgery is required. According to Yauch, his vocal chords are not affected, and he is expecting to make a full recovery.



"I'm actually going to have to have surgery probably next week, coming up, and then after that have to have some radiation done," Yauch says in the video. "But the good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it's only localized in this one area, and it's not in a place that affects my voice."

"It's a little bit of a setback, it's a pain in the ass, but this is something that's very treatable," he adds.

The Beastie Boys had planned for a busy summer, including headlining slots at many of the major festivals in the United States - Lollapalooza, All Points West, Outside lands and Austin City Limits - as well as a September date at the Hollywood Bowl. The group performed at the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tenn. last month.

"I apologize to everybody, for anyone who's made plans or was psyched to come to these shows that are coming up," says Yauch. "We'll be back doing this soon."

"Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," the group's eighth album, was originally scheduled for release on Sept. 15. The set will include 17 tracks, including "Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win" featuring Santigold and "Too Many Rappers" featuring Nas.

EMI, the group's label home for all but its debut release, issued a statement this afternoon: "Our thoughts, love and prayers are with Adam Yauch, his family and the Beastie Boys. The most important thing is to allow Adam to focus on staying healthy. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery."
Next Article »

Up for Discussion

Post Comment

Sort By

More Features

All features

The Chart Game: Can you predict the hotness?

Get your recommended daily allowance of music news in one two-minute video dose.

Soundtrack of My Life

Thanks For Joining Billboard

Log in to create your profile, speak your mind and connect with listeners like you.

Why Join ?

Don't just hear it. Live it. Go deeper than a casual listen: Voice your feelings, build a profile around your favorite music, connect with people who share your passions and discover new ones. Sign up for free.

Complete Your Registration at Billboard.com!

Haven't Joined Yet ?

For the full Billboard experience, you need to be a member. Sign up. It's free.

Join Billboard

Forgot your password?

Enter the e-mail address you used to sign up and we will email you the password .

Email Sent !

Your password has been sent to the email address you provided. Please sign in below :

Log In

Forget your password ?

Action Successful

We'd love to hear your feedback on the new Billboard.com!

Whether it's a feature request or a bug

We want to hear from you. Please use this form to anonymously give us your input.

open
close

CLICK PLAY TO RESUME