Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has opened up about the support he received from fellow musicians following his 2019 cancer diagnosis. The revelation comes from an exclusive extract shared from Mustaine’s upcoming book, “In My Darkest Hour,” which details how Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley and James Hetfield reached out to him during a difficult time.
In the book, Mustaine describes the outreach he received from within and outside the music industry. He also reflects on his complicated but meaningful history with Metallica’s James Hetfield.
Dave Mustaine wrote in his book: “After my cancer diagnosis became public, I heard from a lot of people both in and out of the music industry. Ozzy Osbourne reached out. So did Paul Stanley of KISS. And James Hetfield.”
“I don’t want this to sound like my getting cancer was the impetus for some sort of cease-fire between Megadeth and Metallica,” he continued. “That fight had been over for years. But wounds leave scars, even after healing, so it would be inaccurate to say that James and I were best buddies. But we have a shared history that will always be deep and profound; I care about him, and I know that he cares about me.”
Mustaine went on to emphasize how much Hetfield’s gesture meant to him personally, particularly given the timing.
“Hearing from him just as I was about to begin treatment, when I was at a pretty low point, meant a lot to me,” he said. “F*ck the drama. Be a human being. And don’t do it for clout or likes on social media. Pick up the damn phone and reach out. Privately. One to one. That’s what James did.”
That moment of support arrived at a pivotal point in Mustaine’s fight against cancer. It came during a period that would test him physically and emotionally in ways few outside his inner circle fully understood at the time.
Mustaine went public with his diagnosis in June 2019, revealing he had been diagnosed with stage-three squamous cell carcinoma at the back of his tongue. The discovery came after a routine dental check-up, an appointment that unexpectedly changed the course of his life. Megadeth was forced to cancel that year’s touring plans as a result.
The treatment that followed was grueling. Mustaine underwent 51 rounds of radiation and nine sessions of chemotherapy, a regimen that took a severe physical toll on his body. He has since spoken about the lasting side effects of that treatment, including damage to his teeth and ongoing memory issues that fans and collaborators would later notice.
By October 2019, Mustaine was declared cancer-free. He returned to the stage with Megadeth in January 2020, marking the end of a harrowing seven-month battle. The relief of remission, however, did not erase the lingering effects of treatment.
Mustaine has since revealed that the cognitive fog commonly known as “chemo brain” complicated his work in the years after his recovery, making the process of writing Megadeth’s 16th album, “The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!,” particularly difficult. This backdrop of physical hardship and quiet resilience gives added weight to the gesture from Hetfield and others who reached out during his darkest hour, as Mustaine describes in his memoir.
Source: Louder Sound
