Jason Newsted Reflects On Throat Cancer Recovery And Why He’s Back On Stage

Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has spoken candidly about his battle with throat cancer, revealing the severe depression he experienced during recovery and how returning to live music became his motivation to keep moving forward.

Appearing on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Newsted shared new details about the diagnosis he kept private throughout much of last year, explaining that surgery and the long road back tested him in ways he’d never experienced before:

“About a year ago, they found some throat cancer, and so I had some pretty serious procedure,” Newsted said, explaining that doctors initially wanted him to wait longer before returning to performing.

Instead, he used the prospect of touring with The Chophouse Band as motivation during his recovery, the former Metallica bassist admitted the emotional toll of the experience was overwhelming:

“I had to claw back. I had to claw my way back. The depression, the level of depression was so severe that you just… A couple of times, I’d never been the kind of person that would say that or even had that kind of thinking, but [I felt], like, ‘Dude, fuck this.'”

Turning point

Newsted said the turning point came when he slowly returned to everyday routines, including swimming, cycling, writing songs and reconnecting with people:

“I started swimming again, got back on my bike, doing my things… The planets started aligning. I thought, ‘I need to go out and play these songs for people.'”

The 63 year old was diagnosed with throat cancer last year after initially dismissing persistent earaches, jaw pain and eventually a lump in his neck (per Blabbermouth). Earlier this year, he confirmed he had been declared cancer free before publicly discussing his health battle.

For Newsted, returning to the stage isn’t about revisiting his past with Metallica or chasing commercial success. Instead, it’s about appreciating the opportunity to perform while he can:

“I was betting on myself that I was going to heal and I was going to get better and I was going to be strong enough to do these shows.”

His Chophouse Band recently launched its first North American headlining tour and is also supporting Blackberry Smoke throughout July, marking Newsted’s first extended run of live performances since overcoming cancer.