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Mike Tatum didn't realize how well he was loved.

The Tucson guitarist and singer has been performing in bands around town for about 30 years; his most recent regular gigs were at Sakura Japanese Restaurant and at Casino Del Sol.

He cultivated a lot of friends and fans in three decades.

About six months ago, his health began to fail. Numerous trips to doctors and tests later, he still hadn't improved.

Finally, Tucson doctor Muralikrishna Bhat diagnosed Tatum, 56, with hepatitis C, an inflammation of the liver.

"This hepatitis C is a slow killer, and a chronic infection can cause significant liver damage as well as cirrhosis of the liver. It can be fatal," Bhat said. "Because of low blood platelets, Mike hasn't been able to get the required treatment."

Tatum lacked medical insurance, and his medical bills piled up.

That's when his friends in the music community stepped in and organized a benefit.

In April, 10 local bands gathered at Sakura restaurant and played, with the proceeds going toward Tatum's medical bills.

"Man, I am just blown away by this. This is really great, and I really appreciate everything that they did for me," Tatum, holding back tears, said a few days after the event.

In the middle of June, Tatum was admitted to Tucson Medical Center. He had a perforated appendix, and doctors performed a laparoscopic appendectomy.

After the surgery, "because of the liver failure, it took Mike about a week to wake up," said Bhat. Tatum is still in the hospital. At one point, doctors told Tatum's family he had just a 50-50 chance of survival. After receiving results from a biopsy and blood work, doctors discovered that Tatum has an advanced case of cirrhosis of the liver.

Late last week, the Tucson musician began emerging from his second coma in the transplant unit at University Medical Center, where he had been transferred.

"He's sitting up, talking and laughing," Tatum's partner, Cheryl Cota, said Sunday evening. "He wants everyone to break him out of there."

The hope is that Tatum will recover enough to receive a liver transplant, she said. She expects transplant doctors to make a decision early this week.

Before his most recent trip to the hospital, Tatum, playing at Sakura, said he has been really lucky to make a living for so long doing what he loves. ."I have no regrets," he said.