Former Metallica Bassist Jason Newsted Speaks Out After Throat Cancer Battle

While performing with Metallica since 1982, Cliff Burton sadly passed away in 1986 at just 24 years old when the band’s tour bus crashed. Mourning the death of the musician, Metallica also searched for a replacement. And that same year, Jason Newsted joined the lineup. For over a decade, Newsted traveled the world with the heavy metal band and was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member. Although he left the band in 2001, Newsted recently made headlines when he revealed his battle with throat cancer. 

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Appearing on the Let There Be Talk podcast, Newsted didn’t hide his struggles with throat cancer. Thankfully, doctors were able to discover the cancer early and treat the musician. He told host Dean Delray, “They took a bunch of s**t outta here and then they went in with lasers this way and took a bunch of s**t out.”  

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Although admitting that the “cavern” inside his head was a little different, Newsted praised the doctors for catching it early. “We got it early. And I got my ‘free and clear’ about three weeks ago. So I beat it.”

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How Cancer Changed Jason Newsted’s Outlook On Life

Celebrating the great news, Newsted admitted that getting rid of the cancer was only the beginning. “I promised myself I was going to rest, and that was the first time I’ve done that in my life. I’m usually just on or off. And so I promised myself I was gonna take the gravity off and lay down for the right amount of hours.”

With Newsted listening to his body, the bassist focused on more than rest. Enjoying the lifestyle of a rocker for decades, he added, “There’s no way, with my arrogant, spoiled a** that I would’ve stopped smoking weed, that I would’ve stopped drinking, that I would’ve stopped doing all the things. But the great spirit got my attention and said, ‘That’s not good right now, man.’ And so it pulled me off it.”

Embracing a new chapter in his life, Newsted was excited for the road ahead. “I’m more clear-headed than I’ve been in my entire adult life. And so there’s blessings within everything. The lemonade I’m making this summer, bro — mm. Sweet. Ooh.”   

(Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage)