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Our own. Keep supporting.=20
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/xs-billy-zoom-on-fans-supporting-his-=
cancer-fight-im-overwhelmed-20150713
X's Billy Zoom on Fans Supporting His Cancer Fight: 'I'm Overwhelmed'
"Billy Zoom! Billy Zoom! Billy Zoom!" The dazzling rock & roll name chanted l=
ast night in Orange County, California, belonged to the famously grinning gu=
itarist from X, that first-wave punk band who were minutes away from finishi=
ng four consecutive dates at the Observatory. These were also the final mome=
nts Zoom would spend onstage for a long time, as he begins chemotherapy for b=
ladder cancer this week.
Zoom is bowing out from the rest of the band's summer tour, but public affec=
tion for the guitarist was made very clear. Barely three days in, the GoFund=
Me page set up to raise money for Zoom and his family had far surpassed its i=
nitial $50,000 goal. T-shirts that read "Support Billy Zoom =E2=80=93 Nice g=
uy, punk legend" sold out quickly.
It's his second cancer scare, after surviving a prostate cancer diagnosis mo=
re than five years ago. "I thought I was through with it," Zoom, 67, told Ro=
lling Stone. "It's upsetting to know it's still there. I try to do it a day a=
t a time, because it's too scary if I go further than that."
An hour before showtime last night, Zoom looked relaxed in the back of X's t=
ouring van. He wore a T-shirt with the image of his friend Johnny Ramone, wh=
o died of prostate cancer in 2004. "He was a good friend," Zoom said. "What h=
e did is perfect. He stuck to the formula and I never heard him make a mista=
ke. He played stuff that is really hard to play."
When Zoom got his first cancer diagnosis, one of his first calls was to Ramo=
ne's widow, Linda, who recommended a "rock-star oncology guy." He got his or=
iginal diagnosis the morning of a big X concert at L.A.'s Wiltern Theatre, b=
ut the band kept the news private. "I got a snooty review about how I wasn't=
smiling like I usually do," Zoom recalled. X were sidelined for nearly a ye=
ar.
Though Zoom's health recovered, his family's resources were exhausted, despi=
te health insurance. This time, he turned to online fundraising. As of today=
, it has reached over $72,000.
"I'm overwhelmed. I can't say enough about things people are doing and their=
concern. I have to wonder what was different five years ago," Zoom said wit=
h a laugh. "It certainly takes a lot of the stress away. I still have the pa=
rt about being sick and everything, but it's made a huge difference as far a=
s panicking about how are we going to pay the mortgage, how we're going to d=
o this or that."
Donations were accompanied by heartfelt notes expressing thanks to Zoom and t=
he band. "I'm not surprised by the comments," said singer-bassist John Doe, w=
ho founded X with Zoom in 1977. "I'm touched but not surprised: 'For all the=
joy you've given me over the years, and =E2=80=98You've changed my life.' T=
hat's been X's story. Someone will say, 'Oh, you play music. What's the band=
?' and it's either 'Who?' or 'You changed my life.' There's not a whole lot o=
f, 'Oh yeah, you had that one song and a stupid haircut for a while?'"
The money will be administered by Sweet Relief, the musicians support group.=
Anything not used by Zoom will be set aside for a fund in his name for othe=
r musicians in need. "We're looking to help people who didn't get the respon=
se that Billy got in their time of need, and we're looking to pay it forward=
," said Mike Rouse, X's manager and a Sweet Relief board member.
Zoom faces two six-week sessions of chemo, followed by a reassessment of his=
progress. "It's so far probably less life-threatening but probably more pai=
nful," he said of his prognosis. "All cancer's bad."
For Zoom, the interruption comes just as his playing with X had become espec=
ially satisfying for him, with new arrangements of the old punk songs and ni=
ghts dedicated to single albums. On Sunday, the band performed 1987's More Fu=
n in the New World, which Rolling Stone described in its original rave revie=
w as a "furious, fuzz-amped tear through the lives of the underclass and the=
willfully decadent."
The X quartet was joined by a keyboardist and second guitarist, and the band=
included songs rarely performed in the past. "Since we started not doing ev=
erything exactly the same, I've been looking forward to every show since the=
n. It was getting a little stale for me. I've been really enjoying myself."
Zoom plans to be back in time for the band's annual holiday "X-mas" tour. Un=
til then, he hopes to be well enough to continue building his series of hand=
made Zoom Custom Shop amplifiers, which are used by a range of players, incl=
uding Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, Moby and Rev. Horton Heat.
"Medical costs can be high, but being unable to work for a long time is real=
ly scary," Zoom said. "This time I'd be in really dire straights if people h=
adn't stepped up."
Ron Soave=
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</style><link rel=3D"stylesheet" type=3D"text/css" href=3D"safari-resour=
ce:/WBSReaderSharedStyleSheet.css" id=3D"article-content-shared"><title>X's B=
illy Zoom on Fans Supporting His Cancer Fight: 'I'm Overwhelmed' | Rolling S=
tone</title><div class=3D"original-url">Our own. Keep supporting. </div=
><div class=3D"original-url"><br><a href=3D"http://www.rollingstone.com/musi=
c/news/xs-billy-zoom-on-fans-supporting-his-cancer-fight-im-overwhelmed-2015=
0713">http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/xs-billy-zoom-on-fans-supportin=
g-his-cancer-fight-im-overwhelmed-20150713</a><br><br></div><div id=3D"artic=
le">
<div class=3D"page" style=3D"font-size: 19px; line-height: 29px;"><h=
1 class=3D"title">X's Billy Zoom on Fans Supporting His Cancer Fight: 'I'm O=
verwhelmed'</h1>
<p>"Billy Zoom! Billy Zoom! Billy Zoom!" Th=
e dazzling rock & roll name chanted last night in Orange County, Califor=
nia, belonged to the famously grinning guitarist from X, that first-wave pun=
k band who were minutes away from finishing four consecutive dates at the Ob=
servatory. These were also the final moments Zoom would spend onstage for a l=
ong time, as he begins chemotherapy for bladder cancer this week.</p>
<p>Zoom is bowing out from the rest of the band's summer tour, but public af=
fection for the guitarist was made very clear. Barely three days in, <a href=
=3D"http://www.gofundme.com/yx66a4"; target=3D"_blank" data-track=3D"true" da=
ta-track-action=3D"Tap Link" data-track-label=3D"1 - http://www.gofundme.com=
/yx66a4">the GoFundMe page</a> set up to raise money for Zoom and his f=
amily had far surpassed its initial $50,000 goal. T-shirts that read "Suppor=
t Billy Zoom =E2=80=93 Nice guy, punk legend" sold out quickly.</p>
<p>It's his second cancer scare, after surviving a prostate cancer diagnosis=
more than five years ago. "I thought I was through with it," Zoom, 67, told=
<em>Rolling Stone.</em> "It's upsetting to know it's still there. I try to d=
o it a day at a time, because it's too scary if I go further than that."</p>=
<p>An hour before showtime last night, Zoom looked relaxed in the back of X'=
s touring van. He wore a T-shirt with the image of his friend Johnny Ramone,=
who died of prostate cancer in 2004. "He was a good friend," Zoom said. "Wh=
at he did is perfect. He stuck to the formula and I never heard him make a m=
istake. He played stuff that is really hard to play."</p>
<p>When Zoom got his first cancer diagnosis, one of his first calls was to R=
amone's widow, Linda, who recommended a "rock-star oncology guy." He got his=
original diagnosis the morning of a big X concert at L.A.'s Wiltern Theatre=
, but the band kept the news private. "I got a snooty review about how I was=
n't smiling like I usually do," Zoom recalled. X were sidelined for nea=
rly a year.</p>
<p>Though Zoom's health recovered, his family's resources were exhausted, de=
spite health insurance. This time, he turned to online fundraising. As of to=
day, it has reached over $72,000.</p>
<p>"I'm overwhelmed. I can't say enough about things people are doing and th=
eir concern. I have to wonder what was different five years ago," Zoom said w=
ith a laugh. "It certainly takes a lot of the stress away. I still have the p=
art about being sick and everything, but it's made a huge difference as far a=
s panicking about how are we going to pay the mortgage, how we're going to d=
o this or that."</p>
<p>Donations were accompanied by heartfelt notes expressing thanks to Zoom a=
nd the band. "I'm not surprised by the comments," said singer-bassist John D=
oe, who founded X with Zoom in 1977. "I'm touched but not surprised: 'For al=
l the joy you've given me over the years, and =E2=80=98You've changed my lif=
e.' That's been X's story. Someone will say, 'Oh, you play music. What's the=
band?' and it's either 'Who?' or 'You changed my life.' There's not a whole=
lot of, 'Oh yeah, you had that one song and a stupid haircut for a while?'"=
</p>
<p>The money will be administered by Sweet Relief, the musicians support gro=
up. Anything not used by Zoom will be set aside for a fund in his name for o=
ther musicians in need. "We're looking to help people who didn't get the res=
ponse that Billy got in their time of need, and we're looking to pay it forw=
ard," said Mike Rouse, X's manager and a Sweet Relief board member.</p>
<p>Zoom faces two six-week sessions of chemo, followed by a reassessment of h=
is progress. "It's so far probably less life-threatening but probably more p=
ainful," he said of his prognosis. "All cancer's bad."</p>
<p>For Zoom, the interruption comes just as his playing with X had become es=
pecially satisfying for him, with new arrangements of the old punk songs and=
nights dedicated to single albums. On Sunday, the band performed 1987's <em=
>More Fun in the New World</em>, which <em>Rolling Stone</em> described in i=
ts original rave review as a "furious, fuzz-amped tear through the lives of t=
he underclass and the willfully decadent."</p>
<p>The X quartet was joined by a keyboardist and second guitarist, and the b=
and included songs rarely performed in the past. "Since we started not doing=
everything exactly the same, I've been looking forward to every show since t=
hen. It was getting a little stale for me. I've been really enjoying myself.=
"</p>
<p>Zoom plans to be back in time for the band's annual holiday "X-mas" tour.=
Until then, he hopes to be well enough to continue building his series of h=
andmade Zoom Custom Shop amplifiers, which are used by a range of players, i=
ncluding Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, Moby and Rev. Horton Heat.</p>
<p>"Medical costs can be high, but being unable to work for a long time is r=
eally scary," Zoom said. "This time I'd be in really dire straights if peopl=
e hadn't stepped up."</p>
</div></div></div><div><br><br>Ron Soave</div></bod=
y></html>=
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