Photo by Lex Allen
When he went to donate blood in August, little did Louie Lucchesi realize that day would lead to doctors determining he had stage 4 kidney cancer. “I was completely blindsided,” he says, “there is no family history.”
According to the Red Cross fewer than 4% of Americans’ blood type is AB positive, which is Lucchesi’s blood type. When he heard that supplies were low, he went for Froedert Hospital to donate.
“The weird thing is I never get sick,” Lucchesi says. In 20 years of work his boss said he never called in sick.
Scans and tests confirmed his fears and four weeks ago he began immunotherapy treatments. “It’s considered the best treatment for kidney cancer. I feel I’m in a great program at a world class cancer center. Believe it or not I feel extremely hopeful for a positive outcome,” he says. “People keep telling me how strong I am, but my running joke is it's either strength or denial. Probably a bit of both.”
A GoFundMe site has been set up for Louie here.
Lucchesi returned to Milwaukee from New York City three decades ago. His musical resume includes bands Crime Family, Brother Louie and the Oil Tasters-inspired Klaus Nomies Homies. He also performed at the annual Pablove Foundation benefit concerts that raises funds to fight childhood cancer.
As a singer he was worried about his lungs. “Right now, I feel like I could sing. I might not be able to walk up two flights of stairs to get to a studio,” he laughs. “But if you put me a on a stool in front of a microphone I could sing.” Blending soulful vocals with alternative sounds, Lucchesi reimagined David Bowie’s “This Is Not America” last February. Listen here.
