Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Discloses Incurable Lung Disease

Jethro Tull front man Ian Anderson has revealed that he's been living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for a few years now.

Anderson revealed to Dan Rather on a recent episode of AXS TV's The Big Interview that he has been managing the incurable disease for the past 18 months, but the illness is progressing and now he struggles to breathe on a daily basis.

"I'm going to tell you something I've never told anybody in public before," Anderson said. "Since it's you, I will take this moment to say I am suffering from an incurable lung disease with which I was diagnosed a couple of years back. ... I do struggle; I have what are known as exacerbations — periods when I get an infection, it turns into severe bronchitis, and I have maybe two or three weeks of really a tough job to go out there onstage and play."


COPD includes a group of illnesses, like chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Anderson believes his illness is partly a result of spending 50 years onstage with smoke machines.

"[My] days are numbered. It's not yet at the point it affects my day-to-day life — I can still run for the bus!" he said.

Medication and a pollution-free environment has helped the singer and flautist maintain his standard of living. He says he'll "fight it all the way" and keep pushing his lung capacity to the limit.

Anderson celebrated Jethro Tull's 50th anniversary with a tour in 2018. He said recently that a reunion with some of the classic-era members of the band would be too complicated to arrange nowadays.