James Bourne has broken his silence after quitting the Busted tour towards the end of last year, insisting he wants to focus on his health and new music. The singer, 42, stepped away from the spotlight just before the joint tour with McFly was set to begin in September.
In a shock update earlier this year, James told fans he had to undergo major surgery to extend his life. However, he used his time away to work on his new album Murder At The Gates, a project over a decade in the making that was originally intended as the basis for a musical.
He said: 'I didn't want my health to stop me from promoting this project because I've put 13 years of my life into it. There was a fear of not finishing it. But I knew I had to finish it and give this to the people.'
James felt he couldn't let his fanbase down with the new project, which he originally collaborated on with Steven Sater, the playwright best known for creating the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening.
Speaking to The Sun, James added: 'There are a few people that have been waiting for it. There are hardcore fans who show up for everything – and I have been speaking about this for a long time.'
He then noted how much he regretted having to pull out of the tour but has been able to focus his efforts on the new album. He said: 'I was given a lot of time back when I wasn't touring. It was like turning a negative into a positive. It was such a shame to have to drop out from the tour, because I love touring so much.'
James shot to fame in the early 2000s alongside Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis, achieving hits with tracks such as 'What I Go To School For', 'Crashed The Wedding', and 'Year 3000' before the band split in 2005.
In September last year, Busted co-headlined a massive joint UK and Ireland arena tour with McFly, but fans grew concerned when James pulled out at the last minute, citing 'health problems'. He pulled out just hours before they were due on stage.
In a message explaining his absence at the time, he said: 'There's a lot of information I still don't have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on the medical stuff for now.' He added: 'I really hope I can be in a position to come back further down the line.'
It was almost six months before fans heard anything else from the star, but in April, he explained: 'I have a plan in place to have a major surgery that should extend my life and hopefully make me well enough to come back to what I love the most which is touring and making music. It really sucks to be out of the game. But there is hope!'
Speaking on stage back in September, bandmate Matt Willis didn't hold back when addressing fans during the tour, revealing just how serious things had become. He said: 'OK, you may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight. James Bourne is really f***ing sick, and we love him, and we miss him. This is the first show we've ever played without him and it's really weird. But we're gonna do the best we can.'
Matt didn't divulge James' diagnosis, simply adding that the situation had escalated quickly, and saying it had happened 'f***ing fast', before reminding fans that 'health is wealth'.
