Metal Insider’s Top 5 is a column where we count down the top five of…well basically anything.
As we write this, Primus drummer Tim Alexander has just successfully underwent triple bypass heart surgery following a heart attack on Friday. An update from the band suggests that everything went well, stating: “The Mighty Tim ‘Herb’ Alexander has pulled through surgery, the blockage from his heart has been removed with no complications and all signs point to a glorious and speedy recovery.”
It was rather surprising to hear that he needed the surgery, but he’s not the first artist that had a sudden health issue. In the spirit of positivity and healing, this week’s Metal Insider top 5 will look at five rock and metal musicians that didn’t let a serious health issue derail their careers.
5) Dave Mustaine
It’s hard to even remember this happened, but in 2002, Dave Mustaine disbanded Megadeth due to an accident that left him with nerve damage in his left arm. Essentially, while he was undergoing rehab at a treatment center, he fell asleep with his left arm over the back of a chair. It compressed his radial nerve and gave him radial neuropathy. He couldn’t even make a fist at the time. In April of 2002, he broke up the band and started getting physical therapy five days a week for his arm. Slowly, he regained the use of it, and despite what doctors initially told him, he made a full recovery. The band’s next album, The System Has Failed, was released in 2004.
