Adam Yauch - a.k.a. MCA of The Beastie Boys...a lil' note.

This is belated news, but since I've just been belated on everything in relation to my blogs (except my postings at The Fab Marquee as a theatre reviewer - and even then, my editor has a few things to say about my *cough* punctuality), but I'd like to belatedly make note of how devastated I am that MCA of The Beastie Boys, aka Adam Yauch, has a cancerous tumor in his salivary glad - and subsequently had to cancel their All Points West gig - which, I was only thinking of going to see them, for I try to not miss them when they are anywhere near the Tri-State area. My mother worked with playwright Israel Horowitz - King Ad Rock's (Adam Horowitz) father many times, and I was always pissed I never got to meet Ad Rock - but MCA was always my favorite (I love all three of them, but maybe it's my penchant for older men, whatever).


He has come out of surgery, bless his heart, and had a note for fans that you can see here at the NY Times - however, he sent it to the B-Boys fan group (yes, I'm in that email blast, thank you very fucking much) and it was so precious. He's had the surgery, but the poor thing has to undergo all the chemo, radiation, etc that one would have to post-op to make sure the damn thing stays gone.

I'm sure many of you have seen Jay-Z perform "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" at All Points West in honor of the Beasties - there are several recordings out there - my pal Chris Gordon picked this one out - it's the best I can find. Amazing. I saw them w/ Dale two years ago when they played their first show in Brooklyn ever - and when they played it, it had UBER significance.

Well, when I got the email from Yauch, it's from a "no-reply" address...which, I'm hip; dude probably would blow a server from all the emails. So I simply have this to say:

Adam -

I adore you and have loved you for years. My prayers, or whatever good gris-gris that you want to take, is with you. You have always been a source of love and musical pleasure for so many - and an inspiration, from your Tibet work to the simple love of your family, music, and your fans.

Just know that so many of us are breathing a collective sigh of relief that you are better, and that many of us (I am not an atheist, obviously) have you in our prayers.

You're a tough mofo - I've seen you on stage only a few feet away, playing your bass and being the musical genius that you are...a lil' cancer ain't gonna take you out anytime soon, man. You have a long life ahead of you.

Get better! Get rid of that cancer! And then rest....and THEN - get your fuckin' ass back on stage, yo.

Love, Strength, and Peace (of Mind) -

Billychic