Former Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to his website.
Wyman, 79, is undergoing treatment, and he is “expected to make a full recovery,” as it was caught early.
The band’s original bassist, he was a Rolling Stone from 1962 through late 1992, when he left the group.
Wyman’s team welcomed the outpouring of support at his website, billwyman.com: “Please post your wishes and support on this site, and we all wish Bill a speedy recovery and a return to full health as soon as possible. Our thoughts are with Bill and his family during this time.”
Born October 24, 1936, in South East London, Wyman joined the Rolling Stones in 1962 as the band was being formed. He wrote a book and pursued solo projects while a member of the Stones. A photographer, an author and still a musician, he left the band after 30 years to pursue those and other projects full-time.
It’s often said that Wyman, the band’s unofficial archivist, “brought electricity to the Stones.”