BBC legend fighting prostate cancer after 'keeping diagnosis secret'
He kept his diagnosis a secret so that he 'didn't disappoint anyone'.
Andrew Lloyd-Webber's brother Julian has announced that he has prostate cancer. In an emotional admission, he shared that he initially kept the diagnosis secret so that he "didn't disappoint anyone".
The cellist, who celebrated his 75th birthday on Tuesday, returned to the concert platform on the same day after an absence of 12 years due to injury to play at a birthday charity gala concert at the Wigmore Hall. In a statement he shared: "I did not want to let anyone down, so I kept my diagnosis secret until after my birthday concert, but now I need to begin treatment as soon as possible. I am encouraged by the expectations of the medical team and look forward to making a full recovery. I am not intending to cancel engagements and I won't comment any further on this matter until after the treatment."
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The musician shared the news after returning from a lengthy hiatus. He previously suffered from a herniated disc caused by the repeated bowing action of his right arm.
The injury was so severe he sold his beloved Stradivarius as he believed that he would never be able to play it on stage again.
However, he recovered much better than expected. He confirmed last year that he was learning to play again with hopes of performing in public once more.
Julian told the Observer: "I began just playing scales a few weeks ago. I tried a whole piece, but quickly realised it was not going to work. I had to build up to it.
"So I did 15 minutes, then half an hour. Then I managed an hour. Now I can't wait for the concert. I just hope I can do it."
The star has a very embellished musical career, having performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. He also won a Brit for his recording of Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto and was made an OBE in 2021 for services to music.
He has worked together with his brother, Andrew, on several projects, especially recordings where Julian performed Andrew's compositions arranged for cello.
Both were heavily influenced by their father, William Lloyd Webber, which gave them a strong shared musical foundation.
