TV on the Radio's Gerard Smith Diagnosed with Lung Cancer

BY Alex HudsonPublished Mar 15, 2011

TV on the Radio ought to be riding high, with a new LP and a North American tour coming up this spring. Unfortunately, the atmospheric rockers have been hit with a piece of bad news, as bassist Gerard Smith has just been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The group released this statement via their official website:

Upon the completion of Nine Types of Light, Gerard was diagnosed with lung cancer. As a result, he has been undergoing treatment and will be unable to participate in the upcoming tour. Gerard is fortunate enough to have health insurance and is receiving excellent medical care. Already we have seen dramatic results. Combine that with Gerard's legendarily willful disposition and it might just be cancer that has the problem. We appreciate your concern and support for Gerard and his family.

Although it's sad to hear that Smith has cancer, it's a relief to know that he's already improving. Hopefully, we will have good news to report about his condition soon.

In the meantime, you can see the other members of TV on the Radio when they hit the road in North America. The outing has two Canadian dates, and you can see the schedule here.

Go here to listen to the newly released "Caffeinated Consciousness." The album track "Will Do" is below.

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