Cancer scare forces ex-Marillion frontman Fish to 'retire'

Former Marillion singer Fish has been forced to "retire from music" for at least six months because of a cancer scare.

Writing on a MySpace blog, Fish said he was diagnosed with "irregular cell growth" on one of his vocal chords in July.

The star is now awaiting hospital test results which will help determine how long he will have to take off from music, although he admitted that he will definitely be out of action until mid-2009.

"I am taking at least six months off from singing," Fish said. "I'd like to think that I can play some festivals in the summer of 2009, but there will be no arranged tours until 2010.

"I don't plan to even contemplate a new album until the end of next year. It all depends on what happens in the coming weeks. There are no set plans for any musical activity at the moment or in the near future."

Despite the setback, Fish remained upbeat.

He said: "In all honesty I am 50 years old, I smoke(d), drink, have a "colourful" history, have sung nearly 1,700 gigs in 27 years and have conducted probably three times as many interviews. It's like standing on the M1 and expecting not to be hit by a car."

Fish finished his message by saying he would see fans "onstage sometime".