Rage Against The Machine’s Tim Commerford provides health update amid cancer battle
Rage Against The Machine bassist Tim Commerford has said he’s now at his “strongest” after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In 2022, Commerford revealed his diagnosis and shared that he had his prostate removed following discovering the illness. The bassist also stated that he discovered he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly before Rage Against The Machine went on tour in July 2022. They were previously set to reunite in 2020, but the shows were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commerford largely kept his cancer battle to himself, only sharing the news with those closest to him before announcing the worrying health revelation in an interview many months later.
He told Spin in 2022: “You can find yourself in a situation like I’m in where it’s like, fuck, my whole life changed. With everything that happens to me now, I wonder, am I feeling this way because I have cancer? Am I losing my hair because I have cancer?”
The Rage Against The Machine member also highlighted the issues that stem from prostate cancer specifically, adding, “Whatever it is, it makes me wonder if it’s happening because I have cancer. And prostate cancer is a very, very, very tough one because it’s connected to your sexuality. It’s hard to disconnect from that and when you’re forced into that situation, it’s a brutal psychological journey.”
Commerford revealed he’d sought out the help of support groups to assist with the psychological problems that arose during the cancer battle. The bassist also said that he’d “never felt pain quite like” what he endured during surgery.
Thankfully, two years later, Commerford is in a much better place, both physically and mentally. “I’m the strongest I’ve ever been in my life. And I’m 56 years old. And I’m artistic, and I’m focused on that, and I’m proud of it,” he told Total Rock in a new interview.
Although the prostate cancer diagnosis was initially a huge shock to his system, Commerford used it as a reason to get into the best shape of his life to ensure that he could continue to fight the illness. However, at first, he couldn’t even discuss the topic, “I was broken when I found out I had cancer. It took me a couple of years before I could even discuss cancer without just getting emotional, crying about it. But what brought me over the edge with that and made me not have to cry all the time was the physicality of, like, ‘Yo, yeah, I’m sick.’”
The bassist added: “Like, I have a cadaver hamstring tendon that’s in my shoulder that the doctor’s, like, ‘Well, your shoulder is only gonna be 75 per cent as strong on the left as it is on the right.’ And I’m, like, well, then if I get 200 per cent stronger than I would have gotten, then I’ll be 125 per cent stronger.”
Is Tim Commerford still making music?
Despite his health battle, Commerford remains committed to his music career. In November, his new band, 7D7D, completed their first tour of Europe and the United Kingdom, which included a headline show at The Underworld in London.
However, regarding the future of Rage Against The Machine, Commerford is unsure whether they’ll play together again. Earlier this year, he told Rolling Stone: “I don’t know. I don’t get involved in that. I’m the bass player. I just wait for someone to tell me what to do.” His comments came after drummer Brad Wilk stated that the band were over, marking their third disbandment.
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