Personal
Chuck Billy is of the Pomo Native Americans, an indigenous people of Northern California. He is proud of his Native American heritage, sometimes giving a shoutout to his "Native brothers and sisters" in the audience. The song "Trail of Tears" is a tribute to his heritage, as are "Allegiance" and "Native Blood". In 2010, Chuck Billy was among those recognized in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian exhibit Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture, which was on display through January 2, 2011.
In 2001, Chuck Billy was diagnosed with germ cell seminoma; a rare kind of cancer in his case because it is usually in the testicular region of a man's body, but he had it in the chest region near his heart. However, following chemotherapy, he has since been given a clean bill of health and continued his work with Testament. In August 2001, friends organized the Thrash of the Titans benefit concert, held to raise money for Chuck's medical expenses.
Read more about this topic: Chuck Billy (vocalist)
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