BLACKIE LAWLESS has publicly asked W.A.S.P.'s fanbase to rally behind Chris Holmes as the former guitarist undergoes treatment for prostate cancer. "The entire W.A.S.P. family are devastated with the news that our Brother and originator, Chris Holmes is now in a serious fight," Lawless wrote. "We ask that all of you, who have been moved and touched by the Band stand with us all, to support, as well as to honor him with whatever you can do, be it financial, or words of peace and encouragement. Let him know what he's meant to you. W.A.S.P. Nation Support You All!!"
Holmes, 68, began chemotherapy in France following the prostate cancer diagnosis, adding to a medical history that already includes a successful battle with throat and neck cancer in 2022. His current treatment — hormone therapy, scans, PET scans, biopsies and bloodwork — has left him with medical debt exceeding €20,000 due to gaps in his insurance coverage, and he's currently unable to leave France without jeopardizing his access to emergency care there.
A GoFundMe campaign set up to help cover those costs has raised roughly €20,000 toward a €50,000 goal so far. Lawless's public appeal — coming from the frontman of the band Holmes co-founded in 1982 and played guitar for through its most commercially successful years — adds significant weight behind the fundraiser, even as Holmes has said in the past that his relationship with W.A.S.P. and Lawless remains complicated. Whatever the state of that history, Lawless's statement makes clear the band's leadership is treating Holmes' fight as one that extends beyond old disagreements.