GREAT WHITE Guitarist MARK KENDALL Is Battling Stage Four Kidney Cancer
Архив новостей | Русская версия
GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall has revealed that he is battling stage four kidney cancer.
On Saturday (November 22),the 68-year-old musician, who formed GREAT WHITE in 1977 under the band's original name of DANTE FOX, took to his Facebook page to write: "Hello Friends! Just wanted everyone to know I was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer a few months ago. I wanted to wait to go public until I knew a little more about it.
"Just to give you an update the tumor has shrunk from 13 centimeters to 8, so I'm going in the right direction with my first scan.
"There isn't a cure for cancer but what I have is manageable.
"I have the best doctors in the world and one of them invented immunotherapy which is the treatment I'm on.
"I only had to do 3 radiation treatments which is a good thing! To be clear, I don't need any financial help but I'll take prayers & encouragement!
"I'm gonna fight this thing and be okay. People in my support group were diagnosed with my exact issue up to 20 yrs ago, so that is encouraging!
"Blessings All!"
Born into a musically gifted family, Kendall grew up in Huntington Beach, California. His father played jazz trumpet; his mother sang her heart out to jazz tunes before adoring audiences. His grandfather, too, was a virtuoso on the piano. Citing Jimi Hendrix, CREAM and THE DOORS as early influences, Kendall's passion and natural abilities got him hooked on guitar.
"The thing I love about the guitar is it's an instrument that allows me to express myself in how I'm feeling at any given time," Kendall said. "All the musicians that made me want to play guitar, played straight from their heart with a lot of feeling in their playing. They pour their very soul into every note. My feeling is no matter what instrument you play, do it with passion and feeling. When music is delivered in that way it creates emotions, which can even make a person cry at times. That to me is real music with a human feel that no machine could ever duplicate."
Kendall's band DANTE FOX had two singers before settling with Jack Russell. The band's 1982 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood caught the eye of record executive Alan Niven. Niven suggested the band change it's name to reflect upon the striking color of Kendall's blonde hair — GREAT WHITE.
Since 1982, the GREAT WHITE sound has captivated audiences worldwide with crushing blues-based guitar riffs and swagger that invokes an emotional high for anyone that listens. The band's core writing team of Kendall and Michael Lardie (keys, guitar) forged numerous hits over the years, and when Audie Desbrow joined in '85, the grooves hooked an amazing stride.
Best known for their Grammy-nominated "Best Hard Rock Performance" hit, the gold selling "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", GREAT WHITE has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, has six Top 100 Billboard hits, nine Top 200 Billboard albums, two multi-platinum albums, five gold records and clocked the top of MTV video four times.
Mark has been married for more than two decades to his wife Bridget and has four children: Jonathan, Taylor, Shane and Ashley.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)
