Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness has opened up about his battle with tonsil cancer. His comments came during an interview with Matt Pinfield on 95.5 KLOS's show New & Approved.
Ness announced his diagnosis in June and underwent surgery later that month, Blabbermouth reported. Since then, he's also received radiation treatment and six weeks of mild chemotherapy.
The singer said he found out about the diagnosis in the middle of a recording session.
"It's been hell," the singer told Pinfield, adding that the surgery he underwent was deeply invasive. "Head and neck is a little bit different than other types of cancers, and they have to go in and disrupt major structures that you've been living with your whole life."
Ness is still recovering nearly half a year later.
"You can hear it in my voice; it's still weak, just talking," he said. "I had to learn how to swallow all over again, and speech is just slowly getting stronger and then eventually singing."
The medical episode interrupted the production process for Social Distortion's new album.
"We were halfway done," Ness said. "We were literally in the studio laying down bass tracks when I got the call. And I just had to shut it down… I got in my car and left. I wanted them to finish the day."
Since then, he's undergone a series of treatment that have put serious strain on the frontman's voice.
Now that his health is back on track, the frontman said he's eager to finish off the LP. "We'll go back in like January, February, finish the guitar parts and keyboards and all the music stuff… I wanted to wait at least till one tour behind me, to get the voice strong and to do the vocals. So we'll probably cut the vocals in June or July."
Social Distortion is planning to complete their album and tour North America in 2024.
Social Distortion will spend much of 2024 traveling across North America. The band's co-headlining tour with Bad Religion is slated to begin in Bakersfield on April 9 and end in Chicago on May 18. The band will take the summer off before another trip set to start in Seattle on Sept. 18 and end in Memphis on Oct. 19.
2024 Tour Dates
Co-headlining with Bad Religion
April 9 – Bakersfield, CA @ Mechanics Bank Theater
April 10 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
April 11 – San Diego, CA @ PETCO Park
April 13 – Las Vegas, NV @ Virgin Hotels Las Vegas – The Theater
April 14 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheater
April 16 – Lubbock, TX @ Lonestar Amphitheater
April 18 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
April 19 – San Antonio, TX @ Boeing Center at Tech Port
April 20 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Greenway
April 22 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
April 23 – New Orleans, LA @ The Filmore Harrah’s New Orleans
April 26 – St. Augustine, FL @ The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre
April 27 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
April 28 – Clearwater, FL @ Coachman Park – The Sound
April 30 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre
May 1 – North Charleston, SC @ Firefly Distillery Lawn
May 3 – Oxon Hill, MD @ The Theater at MGM National Harbor
May 4 – New York, NY @ Pier 17 The Rooftop
May 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Filmore Philadelphia
May 7 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
May 10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
May 11 – Detroit, MI @ The Masonic Temple Theatre
May 12 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
May 14 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/Eagles Club – Eagles Ballroom
May 15 – West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
May 17 – Indianapolis, IN @ Everwise Amphitheater
May 18 – Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed – Indoors
May 19 – Columbus, OH @ Historic Crew Stadium
Rescheduled dates with the Bellrays
Sept. 13 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Sept. 14 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Sept. 15 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Sept. 18 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Sept. 19 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Sept. 21 – Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall
Sept. 22 – Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall
Sept. 23 – Calgary, AB @ Macewan Hall
Sept. 25 – Winnipeg, MB @ Buron Cummings Theatre
Oct. 1 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
Oct. 2 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
Oct. 4 – Guelph, ON @ Guelph Concert Theatre
Oct. 5 – Toronto, ON @ History
Oct. 6 – Montreal, QC @ M Telus
Oct. 8 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
Oct. 9 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Casino Ballroom
Oct. 11 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
Oct. 12 – Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
Oct. 13 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Oct. 15 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
Oct. 16 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
Oct. 17 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
Oct. 19 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
Oct. 20 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
Oct. 22 – Albuquerque, NM @ Rio Rancho Event Center
Oct. 23 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
