Ex-Metallica bassist confirms “free and clear” status, announces summer tour with The Chophouse Band after intensive recovery period
Former ‘Metallica‘ bassist Jason Newsted has revealed that he is officially cancer-free after a year-long battle with throat cancer. The 63-year-old musician shared the news during an upcoming episode of Dean Delray’s Let There Be Talk podcast, confirming he received his “free and clear” status approximately three weeks ago.
Newsted explained that he was diagnosed with throat cancer on May 8, 2025, forcing him to undergo intensive laser surgery.
“So, let’s see, in one week, it’s gonna be a year. So one week from today, it’ll be a year. May 8th of 2025, I underwent a procedure for throat cancer. And so they took a bunch of shit outta here and then they went in with lasers this way and took a bunch of shit out. So the cavern inside my head is different than it was, but we got it early. And I got my ‘free and clear’ about three weeks ago. So I beat it,”
The bassist had kept his diagnosis private for nearly a year, revealing the information to only approximately 24 people during his treatment and recovery. His decision to speak publicly now is directly tied to the launch of his summer tour promotion with ‘Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band’.
“If I could have been there, I would’ve been there. And so I will talk about this a little bit. I decided that this week, as I’m beginning to roll out the promotion for the shows and stuff and let everybody know I’m gonna be back around, and you already know it, you’re, probably, in the 24 people that I told,” Newsted explained to Delray.
The health scare prompted a complete lifestyle overhaul for the bassist, who has adopted total sobriety for the first time in his adult life.
“I promised myself I was going to rest, and that was the first time I’ve done that in my life. I’m usually just on or off. And so I promised myself I was gonna take the gravity off and lay down for the right amount of hours,” he said.
Newsted admitted that he would never have made these changes on his own.
“There’s no way, with my arrogant, spoiled ass that I would’ve stopped smoking weed, that I would’ve stopped drinking, that I would’ve stopped doing all the things. But the great spirit got my attention and said, ‘That’s not good right now, man.’ And so it pulled me off it. And so now I’m more clear-headed than I’ve been in my entire adult life. And so there’s blessings within everything.”
The bassist closed his reflection with characteristic humor about his new lifestyle: “The lemonade I’m making this summer, bro, mm. Sweet. Ooh.”
With a clean bill of health and a fresh perspective, Newsted is preparing for his first-ever North American headlining tour with ‘The Chophouse Band’ this summer. The run includes eight headline dates and ten shows supporting Atlanta country rock outfit ‘Blackberry Smoke’ in July.
Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band Tour Schedule
July 1 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
July 2 – Albany, NY @ Empire Underground
July 3 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box
July 5 – Wayne, PA @ 118 North
July 6 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
July 9 – Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 10 – Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 11 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 12 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
July 15 – Lewiston, NY @ Artpark (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 16 – Utica, NY @ Saranac Brewery (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 17 – Farmington, PA @ Timber Rock Amphitheater (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 18 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 20 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
July 21 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revival
July 22 – Knoxville, TN @ Open Chord
July 24 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
July 25 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium (supporting Blackberry Smoke)
Newsted anchored ‘Metallica’ for fifteen years and has since worked with numerous artists including ‘Ozzy Osbourne’ and ‘Voivod’. The upcoming tour represents his most significant return to the road in years and his first major public appearances since receiving his cancer-free diagnosis.
