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Decemberists member Jenny Conlee diagnosed w/ breast cancer (but things are looking good, tour goes on)

Jenny Conlee @ Beacon Theater in January (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)
Decemberists

A Note from Colin and Jenny

About a month ago, we all at Decemberists HQ got hit with some pretty hard news. Jenny Conlee, our since-the-very-beginning accordion and keyboard player and all-around rad person was diagnosed with breast cancer. If you or anyone in your world has been handed a similar diagnosis, you know what a bolt-out-of-the-blue this news can be.

The good news is that Jenny caught it early. And while the prognosis is very, very good for a full recovery, tackling the disease will mean some intensive treatment for our Jenny as well as a lot of important recovery time.

So I’m writing this to say that, weighing our options, and with Jenny’s fervent blessings, we’ve decided to go forward with our scheduled tour dates this spring and summer.

What we know now: Jenny will very likely miss all nine of our concerts in May and June. We’re all hoping that her recovery will be such that she’ll be able to get back on board as soon as possible.

And now, a note from Jenny:

Hello to Everyone,

I am very sorry to say that I will be missing a few shows coming up as I go through treatment for breast cancer. It has been great to be on tour these past few weeks. The band and crew are like family to me and have been incredibly supportive and understanding. To be making music with everyone and seeing the fans has helped me to feel more positive and keep my mind off of my diagnosis. But, alas, as the tour winds down, it is time for me to get back to reality. I will try to get into surgery as soon as I can after we return from this leg of the tour so I can begin my recovery. There are still a few unknowns out there concerning my cancer, but I am thinking positive and hope to be back on the road soon. Thanks for all of your support! See you soon!

Lots of love,
Jenny

Thanks for everyone’s understanding during this crazy time.

Yours,
Colin Meloy
The Decemberists

Get better soon Jenny! We’ll miss you in Prospect Park. All Decemberists tour dates (May, June, and beyond) and the band’s new video for “This is Why We Fight,” below…


The Decemberists — 2011 Tour Dates
May 29, Les Schwab Amphitheater, Bend, OR*
May 30, Sasquatch! Music Festival, Quincy, WA
June 10, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN
June 11, Raleigh Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC#
June 13, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD#
June 14, Celebrate Brooklyn @ Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn, NY#
June 15, Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA#
June 18, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO
July 19, Britt Pavilion, Jacksonville, OR^ (on-sale date TBD)
July 20, Idaho Botanical Gardens, Boise, ID^
July 22, Big Sky Brewery, Missoula, MT^
July 25, Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL~
July 26, Nautica Pavilion, Cleveland, OH~
July 27, Kresge Auditorium, Interlochen, MI~
July 29, Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
July 30, Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI
July 31, Mountain Park, Holyoke, MA
August 1, Artpark, Lewiston, NY~
August 3, nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA~
August 4, PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music, Cincinnati, OH~
August 5, The Lawn @ White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN~
August 8, Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre, Austin, TX-
August 11, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ
August 12, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (on-sale date TBD)
August 13, Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA
+ with Justin Townes Earle
= with Other Lives
– with Caitlin Rose
* with Rodrigo Y Gabriela
# with Best Coast
^ with Typhoon
~ with The Head and the Heart