Wilko Johnson, a cult guitarist from the 1970's is dying of pancreatic cancer, but he's rocking out on his own beat.

The 65-year-old musician was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer late last year and was told he had just a few months left to live, according to Associated Press. Johnson said no to the chemotherapy treatment doctors said would prolong his lifespan by a few months. His treatment however, is his own diagnosis of creativity and playing gigs in Japan, and a goodbye tour he is prepping for Britain in March. Johnson has even decided to record a new studio album.

"I suddenly found myself in a position where nothing matters anymore," he said." I'm so miserable-and-so normally...I'd be worrying about the taxman or all the things that we worry about that get in the way of the real things. And suddenly it doesn't matter. All of that doesn't matter."

Johnson said he does not fear death, but instead--getting sick. He lost his wife to cancer eight years ago, and fears of putting his loved ones through the sense of helplessness he felt.

"I'm not going on stage sick. I'm not going to have someone pushing me around in a wheelchair. They'd have to push fast," he added.

Johnson burst on to the music scenes of Britain in the rock band, "Dr. Feelgood." At the time of their success, they were known for "flamboyant glam and indulgent prog rock, who dressed in "cheap suits" and played a "then-fashionable brand of blues of R&B."

"We didn't look like the other bands around here-they were all wearing frocks and talking about going to Mars," Johnson said. "We looked lie kind of shoddy bank robbers."

Terminal cancer has relaxed Johnson's worries about the band's legacy.

"People go, 'You influenced so many of the punk bands. You started this and you did that.' That may well be right, but it's all part of the stuff that doesn't really matter now. It's been done," he added.

Tags
Music