A GoFundMe has been organized for Hüsker Dü and UltraBomb bassist Greg Norton, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“Tonight should have been the start of the UltraBomb tour in the UK. My apologies to our fans in Nottingham, London, Nuneaton, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Leeds, and Falmouth,” Norton wrote on Facebook on June 30. “At the beginning of June, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My doctors at the Mayo Clinic believe I have excellent odds, but we need to get in right away and move forward with treatment and surgery.”
“Due to this, we have canceled our upcoming UltraBomb dates in England and Scotland. We will also be pushing our fall tour in the states back a bit to allow me time to recover and return in full force,” he continued.
Norton said, “My sincere apologies to those who had tickets purchased or who were planning on attending our upcoming shows across the pond. I am frustrated, as I know you may be feeling disappointed or upset. I was really hoping to be sharing how excited I was to be coming back to play England for the first time in 35 years!”
“For all of my brothers out there, go get tested,” he urged. “It could be a life changer!”
The GoFundMe for Norton, with a goal to raise $30,000 for his medical treatment, launched shortly after and has already surpassed its original goal. Bob Mould shared the link on FaceBook on Monday (July 4).
Jamie Oliver, Norton’s UltraBomb bandmate, wrote on the fundraiser page: “We can’t imagine the stress and anxiety he and his family must be going through. One thing that’s for sure, though, is that the cost of treatment in the United States is eyewatering. We want to help alleviate some of that pressure, so we’ve decided to set up a GoFundMe account to collect money for Greg to put towards his treatment. Please help us by donating what you can. Let’s get Greg treated and well, back on his feet and rocking out again in no time!”