90s rock star ‘may never play guitar again’ after suffering stroke during tour-Kitty Chrisp and Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro

Matthew Sweet was in the early days of his Canada tour when he had a stroke (Picture: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Matthew Sweet ‘may never play guitar again’ after suffering a stroke during the early days of his tour in Toronto, Canada.

The 60-year-old rocker – who is famed for hit songs including Girlfriend and I’ve Been Waiting – was on tour with Hanson in October when he suffered a major stroke, his manager Russell Carter revealed in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.

Catherine Lyons from his management team has set up a GoFundMe on behalf of him to help with medical costs, with Sweet now sharing an update on his condition with fans.

Describing how the stroke felt at the time, he wrote: ‘I was colder than I’ve ever been and an icy sweat came from every pore.

‘Then I heard a deafening white noise in both my ears growing, and growing and growing in volume, and my eyes started to scramble like eggs in a pan.

‘I was in an ambulance and I heard a man yell, “Sir you’ve had a stroke.” I didn’t know what it meant. It seemed unreal as much of my life has.’

He went on to say he was ‘touched and humbled’ by the success of the GoFundMe page, which has at the time of writing raised $502,978 (£393,374).

‘My future would be gone without it. I stand a chance it is as simple as that,’ he continued.

The singer described the sensation of suffering a stroke in an update on his GoFundMe page (Picture: Noam Galai/Getty Images)

After weeks of hospitalisation, he shared that he had been discharged earlier this month after relearning how to walk.

‘As I learned to walk, bathe, strengthen my legs, learn what hard work really was, I cried many times at my terrible fate and yet I also was so thankful for the fate I had in life, because it was a wonderful fate, and I was so lucky and found everything I wanted again and again and again,’ he admitted.

He went on to say he realised he may ‘never play guitar again’ nor ‘draw a straight line’, but that he will continue to try to make music to ‘express himself.’

Sweet continued: ‘I understand now what it means to need to reinvent oneself, when the self you knew before is gone, you have no other choice, you either quit or you keep going and so I feel I must keep going, and I feel a great burden to do so with such incredible support that you, many of whom I do not know, have given me.’

He will need to go to a rehabilitation centre and is facing ‘$250,000 in medical costs’ (Picture: R. Diamond/Getty Images)

On the page, a statement announcing Sweet’s stroke read: ‘Matthew Sweet, our longtime inspiration and dear friend, suffered a debilitating stroke this past week in Toronto while in the early days of a national tour.

‘He has been unexpectedly and tragically forced off the road and onto a long, uncertain path to recovery.

‘We are asking for financial help in this difficult time from his family, friends, and fans. Without insurance or touring income, Matthew faces an enormous financial burden.’

‘The doctors and hospital care in Toronto were instrumental in saving Matthew’s life, but health care is not free for Americans in Canada.’

He thanked fans for supporting his GoFundMe page, which has so far raised more than $500,000 (Picture: Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Matthew will have to be flown back to the US on an ambulance plane with medical staff to a ‘specialised rehabilitation centre’ where he will require ‘around-the-clock care and therapy’ for the next six weeks.

She continued: ‘He will then require months of treatment and rehabilitation that we hope will lead to a full recovery.

‘Needless to say, the costs for all of this treatment will be overwhelming. We anticipate a total close to a quarter of a million dollars.

‘Your thoughts, love, and support will mean the world to him. But please donate financially if you possibly can. Matthew will be forever grateful to you.’

Many people have commented with their well-wishes, from fans to friends.

One said: ‘Matthew – Your music has been illuminating my life for over 30 years. You’re still, and always will be, in my regular listening rotation. Thank you and get well soon ❤️.’

Another, who gave a generous $100, wrote: ‘Matthew, this is not a patch on what your music has meant to me over the past 40 years, but I hope it is a drop in what will be an overflowing bucket of financial and personal report on your road to recovery.’

Someone else – who said they were ‘in tears’ at the news, wrote: ‘I feel so horrible for you, Matthew. Your music has touched me like very few have.

‘I can’t believe after all the joy you’ve brought so many people you’re stuck with medical costs no one but the very rich could afford. So unfair!

‘As I sit here in tears, I wish you all the best in your recovery. We’ll be watching. Please be good to yourself. You’ve made a huge impact on my life. Thank you!’

Matthew rose to prominence in the 1990s (Picture: Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

His management team shared the Go Fund Me page on Instagram earlier this evening, saying how thankful they were at all the support in a short 48 hours.

‘We are overwhelmed with gratitude for your many generous donations and well-wishes from all around the world in the past 48hrs,’ they wrote.

‘We urge those who haven’t chipped in to please consider showing your support for Matthew during this critical time. ‘ ⁣

Matthew’s intimate acoustic tour was due to continue around the US in November in celebration of his new album, Catspaw.

He began writing and recording songs in high school, and while Matthew released music in the 1980s, he found real commercial success the following decade with his breakthrough Girlfriend and following hits.

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