87-Year-Old Trumpeter Plays Through Cancer With Big Band

When doctors found cancer in Johnny Kleker's prostate and both lungs during what should have been a simple kidney stone scan, the trumpet player had one non-negotiable priority: keep his band playing.

The Huntington Beach resident, now 87, leads The Johnny Kleker Big Band, an 18 to 20-piece ensemble that plays swing classics like "In the Mood" and "A String of Pearls." Born in 1937, Kleker grew up hooked on the big band sound of the 1940s and never let go.

After his 2019 diagnosis, he started hormone therapy and infusions every three weeks at City of Hope. Kleker treated the appointments like mini-vacations. "I actually enjoyed the infusions," he says. "Gave me a chance to relax. Sometimes I'd nap for an hour."

His determination showed when he convinced his doctor to release him early from a seven-day hospital stay last September. The reason? He had a concert he couldn't miss.

The infusions came with a twist nobody expected. Kleker developed Type 1 diabetes, a side effect with less than a one percent chance of occurring. "I guess I'm a one percenter," he jokes.

His doctor, Nishan Tchekmedyian, has become more friend than physician, carefully managing the balance between cancer treatment and the new diabetes diagnosis. Today, Kleker's lung cancer remains stable, though he still takes medication for his prostate and works with his team to dial in his insulin levels.

The physical demands of trumpet playing have forced some changes. He's dropped out of a few bands and takes fewer solos now. The trumpet requires serious lung power and breath control, challenging even for healthy musicians.

But Kleker hasn't stopped performing. His band offers free concerts every third Saturday at Long Beach First Church of the Nazarene. Last spring, they played the opening ceremony for City of Hope's new Seacliff outpatient cancer center in Huntington Beach, bringing his journey full circle.

Sunny's Take

What makes Kleker's story shine isn't just that he survived cancer. It's that he refused to let diagnosis define his days. While many would have packed away their instruments, he kept showing up for rehearsals, kept booking gigs, and kept sharing the music that's been his heartbeat since childhood. His faith guides him, he says, trusting God works through his doctors. At 87, cutting back on solos while still leading a 20-piece big band isn't compromise. It's wisdom wrapped in swing time.

Every third Saturday, anyone can walk into that Long Beach church and hear proof that cancer can be stable, but passion stays loud.