Terminally ill Wilko announces “farewell concerts” as thank you for fans

Determined to deal with his recent diagnosis of terminal cancer on his own terms, Essex guitar hero Wilko Johnson  has announced four farewell concerts to say thank you to his fans.

Wilko Johnson: Farewell tour
Wilko Johnson: Farewell tour

Wilko, who found fame with trailblazing Essex pub-rockers Dr Feelgood in the 1970s, is best known for his rapid-fire machine-gun style of playing and his wild eyed stage persona.

He discovered he had inoperable pancreatic cancer late last year. Told that he may enjoy several months of reasonable health, he rejected the offer of life-prolonging but possibly debilitating chemotherapy.

His manager Robert Hoy says that 65-year-old Wilko, who also played with Ian Dury and The Blockheads and had long led his own Wilko Johnson Band, will play concerts in London, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Glasgow in March.

Hoy said the dates offered Wilko “an opportunity to express his sincere thanks to fans for all the support he has had throught his career.”

In addition to his work as a musician Wilko has also recently appeared as the mute executioner Ilyn Payne, in the fantasy series Game of Thrones.

Tickets go on sale on Monday (January 21). Contact the Box Office: 0844 478 0898, www.thegigcartel.com.

Author: Jeremy Miles

Writer, journalist, photographer, arts and theatre critic and occasional art historian.

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