Tibetan Buddhist/ supporter Yauch of Beastie Boys wins battle against cancer

From Palyul

A longtime supporter of Tibet and member of Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch, has won his eighteen month long battle against cancer. The singer, also known as MCA, was diagnosed with cancer in July 2009 after which the band’s album “Hot Sauce Committee, Part 1” was delayed indefinitely.

Yauch underwent a surgery in July 2009 to remove a cancerous tumor from his left parotid gland. In September 2009, he visited Dharamsala, the headquarters of the exile Tibetan government and the home to the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama. During his visit, Yauch consulted Tibetan doctors of traditional Tibetan medicine. In an email update to the Beastie Boys’ official fan list in 2009, Yauch said, “I’m taking Tibetan medicine and at the recommendation of the Tibetan doctors I’ve been eating a vegan/organic diet.” He was spotted at a teaching of His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the same trip.

A Buddhist and supporter of Tibetan cause, Yauch has lent his popularity to raise awareness about the Tibet issue.

Yauch performing at Freedom Concert for Tibet, file photo
Adam Yauch co-founded the Tibetan Freedom Concert which helped bring worldwide awareness to the Tibetan situation through music. Compiling some of the most talented and influential artists from around the world, the Tibetan Freedom Concert was participated by U2, REM, The Smashing Pumpkins, Patti Smith, Alanis Morissette, Pearl Jam, Blur, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Lee Hooker, Sonic Youth, Porno For Pyros, among many others.

The Beastie Boys got their start in the 1970s as a punk rock band, but made a move to rap in the late 1980s becoming the world’s first successful white rap band.

And his bandmate Mike D revealed the trio’s plans to release the second part of “Hot Sauce Committee” this spring are back on track now that Yauch has overcome his illness. In an interview on BBC Radio 1, Mike D calls the news of the all-clear “a good thing”, adding, “We’re really happy about it.”

The rapper claimed the Beastie Boys were “open” to touring to promote the upcoming release, but admitted it will all depend on how 46-year-old Yauch’s health holds up. Mike D continues, “We’re still going to have to see how he’s doing.”