Disturbing news arrived on Wednesday from Blink-182 — arguably the biggest band to ever come out of San Diego County — when founding member Mark Hoppus tweeted out that he has cancer.
Hoppus, along with fellow Poway native and original singer Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker, formed Blink, as it was originally known, in the early ’90s.
In his tweet, the bass player/singer said he has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for the past three months for his cancer.
“It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this,” Hoppus tweeted. “I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive.”
Hoppus, who is now 49, and DeLonge were just in their teens and early 20s when Blink first formed. Often credited as pioneers of post-punk, the band sold millions of albums in the ’90s and early aughts, including their megahit “Enema of the State,” which dropped in the summer of 1999. Some reports say the album has sold 15 million copies.
Blink-182 went on “hiatus” in 2005, reforming near the end of the decade and occasionally playing together until DeLonge stepped away permanently in 2014. Hoppus and Barker, though, recruited Alkaline Trio Matt Skiba the following year to take over DeLonge’s duties permanently.
In his tweet on Wednesday, Hoppus painted a positive outlook for the future.
“Can’t wait to be cancer-free and see you all at a concert in the near future,” Hoppus tweeted in conclusion. “Love to you all.”