Hi, my name is Greg. I've been listening to and playing metal since I was 13 years old. The first CD I ever bought was Reign In Blood. I've played in metal bands for a long time. None of these bands ever really went anywhere. If you want to see my latest and greatest metal project, check out my prog/power metal band American Empire (AmericanEmpire.bandcamp.com). I've done live sound and studio work for several bands in the area. I absolutely love metal, and if I could be involved with music and make a living, I could die happy.
Anyway, at the end of this past May, I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It has spread to my brain, ribs, collarbone, lymph nodes, vertebrae, and more. It's also left me with several compression fractures in my spine, making it extremely painful for me to go through day-to-day stuff. On a really good day, I can go for a two-mile walk with my wife, although that will wipe me out. On a bad day, I can't make it through two hours of work at my day job, sitting in a chair at a desk in an office.
I feel extremely fortunate that I have a job with insurance and paid sick leave and so on, and to have friends and family that are supportive of me. But still, the bills are more crushing than the heaviest down-tuned riffs imaginable. Recently, some friends of mine set up a benefit show for me recently, and one of the things that came from that was the sale of a shirt that you can see at MetalBeatsCancer.bandcamp.com. If you're interested in helping out a fellow metalhead fight against a struggle that lots of people can relate to, please consider buying a t-shirt from this site.
Once I'm back up on my feet, I intend to keep writing music of my own, and helping other bands make their music the best it can be. Any help along the way will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Keep the horns high, brothers and sisters of metal!!!
Anyway, at the end of this past May, I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It has spread to my brain, ribs, collarbone, lymph nodes, vertebrae, and more. It's also left me with several compression fractures in my spine, making it extremely painful for me to go through day-to-day stuff. On a really good day, I can go for a two-mile walk with my wife, although that will wipe me out. On a bad day, I can't make it through two hours of work at my day job, sitting in a chair at a desk in an office.
I feel extremely fortunate that I have a job with insurance and paid sick leave and so on, and to have friends and family that are supportive of me. But still, the bills are more crushing than the heaviest down-tuned riffs imaginable. Recently, some friends of mine set up a benefit show for me recently, and one of the things that came from that was the sale of a shirt that you can see at MetalBeatsCancer.bandcamp.com. If you're interested in helping out a fellow metalhead fight against a struggle that lots of people can relate to, please consider buying a t-shirt from this site.
Once I'm back up on my feet, I intend to keep writing music of my own, and helping other bands make their music the best it can be. Any help along the way will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Keep the horns high, brothers and sisters of metal!!!
