Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet suffered a “debilitating” stroke while on tour in Toronto in mid-October, his manager confirmed Wednesday.
To help with recovery costs, Sweet’s management company, Russell Carter Artist Management, posted a GoFundMe page this week.
“He is currently on a long and difficult road to recovery,” Russell Carter said in a statement to NBC News. “He will not be able to perform for the time being.”
Sweet, 60, known for 90s alt-rock hits such as “Girlfriend” and “I’ve Been Waiting,” currently has no “insurance or touring income,” the page says. There is.
“The treatment of Toronto’s doctors and hospital helped save Matthew’s life,” Katherine Lyons, president of Sweet for Russell Carter Artist Management and organizer of the fundraiser, wrote in the GoFundMe page description. But health care is not free for Americans living in Canada.”
Sweet was flown back to the U.S. on an air ambulance with medical staff on board, and then spent six weeks in a specialized rehabilitation center, “where he will receive 24-hour care and treatment,” Lyons said. He added that this would be followed by several months of treatment and rehabilitation, estimating the total cost of Sweet’s treatment to be “nearly $250,000.”
“Please donate financially if you can,” she wrote. “Matthew will be forever grateful to you.”
As of Wednesday morning, the fund had raised more than $150,000 from about 2,700 donors, including such notables as director Judd Apatow, musician John Mayer, and REM guitarist Peter Buck. It also includes the name.
“Matthew has always been focused and persistent in all his endeavors, not only in his recording career, but in all of his artistic and intellectual endeavors,” Carter said. “I am confident that his characteristic determination will serve him well as he now focuses on his return to health.”
Sweet canceled more than a month of performances earlier this month, citing health issues, according to an Instagram post he shared. At the time, he was opening for fellow ’90s star Han Sung and preparing for his own headlining show.
“Due to illness and on the advice of his doctors, Matthew Sweet must cancel all remaining performances with Hanson and his own headlining performances from October 10th to November 16th,” the post read. It is written.
Sweet released his first album, Inside, in 1986 and has since recorded more than a dozen albums. The latest work was “Catspaw” in 2021.
