There's been many interviews with Rock musicians that have been made only months before their demise, of course their own mortality is never a question in the interview as their future at the time couldn't possibly be predicted.
But this mornings interview with Wilko Johnson on BBC Breakfast TV was possibly one of the most amazing moments in rock and roll interview history as he spoke for the first time on national television about his recent diagnosis of cancer since his managers open letter to the press at Christmas (> see post) . Wilko has declined any treatment for the disease.
A clip has since appeared on the BBC website of the interview. This transcription tries to capture the way in which Wilko talks, with sentences and thoughts running on in staccato fashion. Rather like those famous guitar riffs.
BBC interviewer : How are you right now?
Wilko : "I'm feeling fit and fine at the moment.. I received this diagnosis that I have pancreatic cancer just before Christmas and um .. the effect on me has er .. well not what I would have expected when they gave me the diagnosis.. it was a surprise to me but I remained absolutely calm, not a flutter and um.. when I walked out of the hospital into the sunshine suddenly I felt this elation.. I just felt so alive, everything was tingling.. I'm looking around and everything.. and everything.. I'm alive!
As I say I'm not feeling ill.. and er by the time I got home I was most euphoric it seems to me that...finding this out I dunno that somehow I'd completed my life and er.. I've had a good life no cause to complain really and er.. I was feeling fine. Being by nature a miserable so and so.. this is bound to come down crashing tomorrow morning or something but I'm happy to say it hasn't. I have remained feeling in very good spirits since. "
At this point a section seems to have been unnecessarily edited out of the clip is his further view on only 6 months to live.. this part is paraphrased.
"with 6 months to live I thought I don't have any more to worry about. It was like a relief to me. I can't do anything about the past and there isn't much of the future, I won't have say to worry about er.. the tax man or the rubbish man, everyday things.. I just live now in the present."
The clip continues
Wilko : "I've been told.. I was told that I've got maybe 6 months I can expect to feel healthy before the cancer starts its work.. and er so anyway the first thing I did was er I went for two weeks to Japan which is a place I love very much, I've toured there very often, I have many good friends there and er.. it was, it was the right move and er.. and so we're just thinking if we got 6 months before I get sick then.. right 2 weeks in Japan, then I did some gigs in France last week, working an album er.. cuz you know when I'm working an album er.. I just slap it down, don't fiddle about right so it won't take up too much time and .. hopefully I'll still be fit in March to complete this farewell tour"
BBC interviewer :Tell us about the tour because you've had your fans really excited about it, a sell out.
Wilko : "Er yeah as I said most of this.. er most of this interest that's been shown in this whole business happened while I was away in Japan, I came home to find myself (laughs) besieged by reporters and photographers (laughs).. I should have thought of this years ago you know.. but um.. we've chosen the venue.. I say we, they did it really my mates you know but er.. obviously I had to get venues that were available at that time you know.. got to do it as quickly as we can before I start to crumble. So we picked venues that were firstly available and secondly we have had good time at in the past."
Sadly the website clip ends here. You might think the BBC would have the decency to show the entire interview without editorial interference especially since it's now on line and would use little more of their precious 'publicly owned' web space.
Wilko did go on to talk about his love for astronomy and the dome he has on his roof that houses his telescope and the times he spends in there even when it's raining and cloudy.. "you can still line the telescope up.. it's operated by the computer".
Also when asked how he liked seeing himself in Dr Feelgood in 1975 (several clips of which shown before the interview) he simply replied "I don't like looking at myself"
If anyone's real character can be measured by how they face their own mortality then Wilko Johnson is truly a giant of a man. His self deprecating humour and honest view of what will be his final months alive visibly left the two BBC interviewers open mouthed with wonder at the open acceptance of his own mortality as if they could have been interviewing the Dalai Lama himself.
In a time when the clamour of self inflated ego's are streaming to us by the day on all platforms of the media Wilko's selfless expression of his life and future was and will be a very rare and inspirational moment for anyone who saw it.
Make no mistake Wilko Johnson is a genuine Rock and Roll hero.
Here is the mighty Dr Feelgood back in 1975.
