The Alarm frontman Mike Peters makes a brave announcement: his cancer is back
Welsh rockers The Alarm have been hit with unfortunate news as their frontman, Mike Peters, announced that his cancer has returned. The singer woke up with a lump on his neck, leading to a scan that revealed his chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) had transformed into a high-grade lymphoma.
The band was set to kick off their Live Today Love Tomorrow Tour in the US, starting at the House Of Blues in Nashville on May 1. However, due to Peters’ health situation, the tour has been cancelled.
Peters expressed his shock at the unexpected diagnosis, stating, “I am still reeling from the consequences of this new and completely unforeseen diagnosis, and doing my best to process what is happening. I’m grateful for the love and understanding of everyone affected by the tour postponement and hoping and praying with all that I have, that this is just a pause in the story of my life, and that normal service will be able to resume soon.”
This isn’t Peters’ first battle with cancer. Having survived lymph cancer in 1996 and being diagnosed with leukaemia in 2005, he has faced numerous health challenges throughout the years. Most recently, he experienced pneumonia after a tour in April 2022, spending the majority of the year either in hospital or at home recovering.
Despite his health struggles, Peters found solace in music, even using his time in hospital to work on new songs for The Alarm’s upcoming album, ‘Forwards’, set to release in 2023.
In an interview with Classic Rock, Peters shared his experience, saying, “I actually started writing some of the songs while I was in the hospital. I had a drain coming out of my back, releasing the blood that had filled my lung, so I could only lie on one side, for hours on end, for ten days non-stop. I could have half an hour between IV sessions when I could sit up. I knew I was going to be in for a long time, so I had the guitar there.”
Peters’ resilience and determination to continue creating music despite his health challenges are truly inspiring. His message of staying positive and fighting against all odds resonates with fans worldwide.
As the music community rallies around Mike Peters and The Alarm during this difficult time, we can only hope for his speedy recovery and a return to the stage soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with Peters and his family as he bravely faces this latest health battle.
