FRANKIE BANALI - "My Condolences To The Family Of MUNETAKA HIGUCHI And The Members Of LOUDNESS"
November 30, 2008, 16 years ago
QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali has issued the following statement following news of the passing of LOUDNESS drummer Munetaka Higuchi:
"My condolences to the family of Munetaka Higuchi and the members of Loudness on the passing of Munetaka Higuchi-san. I had the opportunity of being interviewed by him while in Japan with Quiet Riot in 1989 for a Japanese drum magazine. He was very kind and an excellent drummer. May he rest in peace."As previously reported, Higuchi passed away on the morning of November 30th in Osaka, Japan following a battle with liver cancer. He was 49 years old. Higuchi was diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in April 2008 and had reportedly undergone two rounds of chemotherapy treatment and an operation to remove part of his liver.
Higuchi issued the following statement regarding his condition on October 18th: "It has been half a year since I was diagnosed with liver cancer. I am really sorry that the fans are worried. The cancer has become worse despite the fact that I have been taking care of my health, and I will need more time for my treatment. [Even after undergoing the] big operation to remove half of my liver, I still need more treatment. There are various risks and dangers involved with my condition, but I'll do my best to keep my spirits up and maintain my physical strength to fight this illness. I know it is still the middle of my treatment, but I just wanted inform you about my progress since the operation. Thank you very much for all the support."
