Ronnie Wood underwent surgery to remove part of his lung after a cancer diagnosis in May, a recent interview with Event magazine reveals. The Rolling Stones guitarist, notorious for his hard partying alongside Keith Richards, says he was prepared for the worst when he received the news.
“There was a week when everything hung in the balance and it could have been curtains – time to say goodbye. You never know what is going to happen,” he told Event.
Wood, 70, went for a routine medical check-up, required before heading out on tour, which is when doctors discovered the cancerous growth on his left lung. Wood was a smoker for most of his life and says he “wasn’t surprised” by the diagnosis.
The good news? Wood says he’s “OK now” and that they “caught it early,” although he will have to go for a check up every three months to keep an eye on things.
Wood quit smoking last year, just prior to the birth of his twin girls, Gracie and Alice, and has been clean for the past nine years.
Prior to joining the Rolling Stones, Ronnie Wood was also a member of The Birds, the Jeff Beck Group, and Faces, along with his good friend Rod Stewart.
