Former Whitesnake star Mel Galley has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The rocker, 59, has revealed he's seriously ill and has accepted the fact he hasn't got long to live.

He tells Britain's Express & Star newspaper, "I've had a fantastic life. I have been very lucky. I have seen some great bands, and played with many great musicians. I have enjoyed some tremendous experiences. I am thankful that I can say a proper goodbye to all the friends I have made, who are now rallying round me."

The guitarist also performed with classic rock acts Trapeze and Phenomena.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Yeah, I read about that, that's sad. :( At least he's had time to prepare and accept it. But that's still got to be pretty hard.

Whitesnake has had so many guitarists over the decades, it's pretty much not one steady lineup: John Sykes (formerly of Tygers Of Pan Tang and currently of Thin Lizzy), Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell (formerly of Dio and currently with Def Leppard), Steve Vai, Reb Beach (with Winger in the late 80's/early 90's and has released a new album with Winger; briefly played with Dokken), and Doug Aldrich. Rudy Sarzo of Ozzy's band and Quiet Riot also played with Whitesnake.

Mel Galley was with another band called Trapeze.

British hard rock guitarist Mel Galley (WHITESNAKE, TRAPEZE, PHENOMENA) — who was recently diagnosed with cancer — has released the following statement:

"Well, as some of you may already have read in the press or seen/heard on other websites, the verdict from the doctors following a full MRI scan is that my condition is terminal. Rather than sit around feeling sorry for myself, I intend to make the most of the time I have left with my family and friends. I am blessed with a fantastic wife and two sons who I am very proud of. For now am just aiming to make my 60th birthday in March.

"I have enjoyed a great life, travelled the world having some amazing experiences, met all sorts of people and played with some of the best musicians there are.

"Back in the late '60s when I first started playing in local bands I never imagined how far I would go and the shows I would play. I seemed to tour non-stop with Glenn and Dave in TRAPEZE in the early 70s. We supported THE KINKS and THE MOODY BLUES while still very young men, had people like John Bonham come on and do encores with us, and the likes of ZZ TOP as our support act. We loved to play live and the fans seemed to love us, especially in the Southern States of the USA — HELLO TEXAS!

"Playing on the same bill as THE EAGLES and THE ROLLING STONES, with MONTROSE opening, in front of 100,000 fans in Dallas in 1975 and headlining the 1983 Monsters of Rock festival while in WHITESNAKE are two shows that I will treasure. There have been so many highlights that it's impossible to name them all.

"Glenn still occasionally throws in a TRAPEZE song during his shows and they sound as fresh as if written yesterday. That tells me how good they are. The fact that he has always had one of the most amazing voices you have ever heard helps too! God bless you, Glenn.

"Due to my arm injury, my time in WHITESNAKE sadly only resulted in one album. Playing with those guys was a buzz and both line-ups I was involved in contained tremendous musicians. I'm sure John Sykes and I could have written some great songs together. It was so nice to meet him again recently over 20 years later and to see him still playing the same Gibson as back then.

"Over the last 12 months, since the launch of my page and the TRAPEZE page, I have regained my love for playing and taken real pleasure from reading the comments and messages you have all left. I have heard from people I had lost touch with years ago. It has been fantastic and I thank you all. I honestly didn't realise the amount of people out there who still remember or have discovered my music. I just wish I could have had the chance to play the shows I had planned for this year.

"Thank you all so much for your love and support over the years.

"You are the music — I was just in a band!"

In the article above, he is referring to vocalist Glenn Hughes in Trapeze, who went on to sing with Black Sabbath as well as on Tony Iommi's 2005 joint solo album 'Fused'. He also refers to drummer Dave Holland of Trapeze, who went on to play with Judas Priest, though is now currently serving time in prison in Britain for the rape of a developmentally disabled male teen.