Mike Ness, the iconic Fullerton-raised frontman of Social Distortion, posted on Instagram yesterday morning that he has been diagnosed with stage one tonsil cancer. As a result, Social Distortion has canceled all upcoming tour dates in the U.S. and Canada while the singer recovers.
Notes of support immediately started to pour in from millions of fans for the voice behind such punk-rockabilly anthems as "Story of My Life" and "Mommy's Little Monster," both from around the country and the global punk community at large, including positive words from L.A.'s Bad Religion and Mexico's División Minuscula.
Ness is staying positive and says he will start radiation in three weeks. "It should be the last therapy I need. The team of doctors are certain that once finished with this course, I will be able to start the healing and recovery process. We expect a full recovery, enabling me to live a long and productive life."
There are several factors that affect the exact survival rate of people who have tonsil cancer. The National Institute of Health reports that tonsil cancer is dependent on the HPV status of the tumor, with HPV positive tumors showing a 5-year overall survival of 71% compared to 46% in HPV negative disease in one study. However, this survival benefit can be negated by the presence of smoking, with mortality rates being significantly higher in HPV-positive smokers compared to non-smokers.
Ness was born in Massachusetts in 1962 before his family moved to Orange County shortly after. He formed the band in 1979, watching it go on to become one of the most successful punk bands after its songs, weaving hard chugging riffs with rockabilly greaser style and a junkie jailbird's vocabulary into Hank Williams-style confessionals, broke into the mainstream through catchy songs like "Ball and Chain."
A very young Ness co-starred in the seminal punk rock documentary "Another State of Mind" in 1984, along with Youth Brigade. His band Social Distortion is considered an iconic and influential punk band that defined the Southern California punk sound. Ness's hits, like "Mommy's Little Monster" has inspired Latin-ified tribute songs by Orange County's satire Latino punk band, Manic Hispanic.
Here's wishing Ness a speedy recovery.
