Wilko Johnson: "I’m not going onstage ill – I don’t want people to see me like that"

Wilko Johnson has spoken about his terminal illness, Dr Feelgood and his farewell shows in the new issue of Uncut, out on Thursday (February 28).

The guitarist and songwriter, who was recently diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer and given less than a year to live, also discusses growing up on Canvey Island, his late bandmate Lee Brilleaux and how the Feelgoods would have “walked all over punk”.

Anticipating his farewell tour, Johnson tells Uncut editor Allan Jones: “When we come back from France, we’ll be doing the UK farewell tour, which, obviously I hope I’ll be fit enough to do. I’m not going onstage ill. I don’t want people to see me like that. But I’ve got every reason to hope I’ll be fit to do those dates.”

Read the moving interview, featuring a tribute from fan Paul Weller, in the new issue of Uncut, dated April 2013, and in shops on Thursday (February 28).

Picture: Brian David Stevens