Lou Keller, singer of Sick of it All, announced last week that he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his esophagus. This lead to Sick of it All cancelling their European tour and starting GoFundMe with Keller’s brother for Keller’s recovery.
Keller’s brother and Sick of it All guitarist, Pete Koller, posted this statement on the GoFundMe page: “My big brother Lou … has been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma cancer. He has a cancerous tumor in his esophagus. We, Sick of It All, have canceled the rest of the year of touring and will not be touring until Lou beats this … As you know touring is the lifeline for a band like sick of it all. If you could help him, it would be greatly appreciated.”
Since the creation of the GoFundMe, over $200,000 have been raised from friends and fans of the band alike across the globe. According to consequence.net, more than 4,000 donations have come in so far, and out of those donations, the largest donations come from fellows bands— Dropkick Murphys, Rancid, and AFI have each sent in $5,000 to the GoFundMe, with AFI frontman Davey Havok donating $2,000 separately under his birth name, David Marchand.
These bands aren’t the only one’s contributing to the fundraiser. Consequence.net reports that Snapcase and Hot Water Music have each contributed $1,000, as have Napalm Death singer, Barney Greenway, and Obituary’s vocalist, John Tardy.
Keller shared a statement upon revealing the diagnosis. He shared his optimism on his recovery, stating, “Thanks for all your support and I’ll hopefully beat this thing and see you at the end of the summer… or maybe the winter.”
Photo credit: Collin King
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