Candida Doyle Says Joining Pulp Was “Do or Die” During Struggle With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Pulp’s famed keyboardist Candida Doyle recently opened up to Mojo Magazine about her struggle with rheumatoid arthritis. For reference, the 61-year-old Irish icon was diagnosed with the condition when she was just a teenager. And considering it is a chronic autoimmune disease, her battle with it is still ongoing. But that hasn’t stopped her from being a vital part of the Britpop band, and she will likely never let the condition stop her.

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“It was kind of do or die,” Doyle told Mojo Magazine in their most recent print issue. “And I did. I fought it. They said, you know, I could be in a wheelchair in my thirties and in my head, I was instantly like, ‘No, I’m not having this.’”

Doyle, who has been the keyboardist for Pulp on and off since 1984, said that she was (and still is) “constantly uncomfortable” and “sore” after performing. However, she continued to perform at nightclubs with the band and stayed up well past 2:00 am for the sake of her art during the band’s heyday.

“I just went about living my life without a care,” Doyle said.

Candida Doyle’s Legacy in Pulp Is Unmatched, and She’s Not Stopping Anytime Soon

Candida Doyle joined Pulp back in 1984 and described her connection with the band as an instant sort of “click.”

“I knew the band anyway, because in Sheffield, if you were a bit unusual, you all kind of went to the same clubs,” said Doyle. “I’d see posters for Pulp concerts, and think, ‘Oh, my God.’ The people I worked with thought I was pretty weird anyways.”

For reference, Doyle was actually training to be a nurse at the time. She kept her musical work with Pulp a secret from her colleagues. Thankfully, she invested more into her musical career, and Pulp would see international success after 11 years together, following their legendary Glastonbury performance back in 1995.

“I mean, it was very rare for a woman to be in a band in Sheffield,” Doyle continued. “That’s partly why I stayed. I thought, ‘I’ve got to stay in because there’s hardly any women doing it.’”

Pulp is set to release their first album in over two decades, More, in June of this year. They are also set to launch a promotional tour in the United Kingdom later this year.

Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images

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