Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Reveals He Has 'Incurable Lung Disease'

Michael Angulia | 05-12-2020

Jethro Tull legend Ian Anderson reveals in a new TV appearance that he has COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which he says in an "an incurable lung disease".

Anderson shared the news in a preview clip from his appearance on this week's episode of The Big Interview on AXS TV, which will premiere Wednesday, May 13th.

He shared, "I'm going to tell you something I've never told anybody in public before, I am suffering from an incurable lung disease which I was diagnosed with a couple of years back.

"I do struggle. I have what are called exacerbations, periods when I get an infection that turns into severe bronchitis and I have maybe two or three weeks when it's really a tough job to go out there on stage and play.

"Fingers crossed, I've gone 18 months now without an exacerbation and I'm on medication. If I'm kept in a reasonably pollution-free environment in terms of air quality, I do okay. But my days are numbered. It's not yet at the point that it affects my day to day life, I can still run for the bus."

He also says that he plans to "fight it all the way, keep using as much of your lung power as you're lucky enough to have and push it to the limit all the time. The minute you settle back and say, 'I can't do this any more,' it's a slippery slope. The answer is keep pushing."

Ian went on to describe the disease. Saying that it best known as "COPD, where you lose some of the ability of your lungs to give you enough oxygen. I spend 50 years of my life on stage among those wretched things that I call smoke machines.

"Today, they're politely referred to as hazers, as if they're somehow innocent and not damaging to you lungs. I really do believe that's a very significant part of the problem I have." Watch the preview clip here.