Musician Matthew Sweet Health Update Following ‘Debilitating’ Stroke
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Matthew Sweet via his GoFundMe page
Matthew Sweet, the power pop/alternative rock musician who scored a pair of Gold albums in the early 1990s, has suffered what is described as a “debilitating” stroke while on tour during the past week. The news was shared on his Facebook page on October 22, 2024, by his management company which has set up a GoFundMe page to cover the financial burden of his medical expenses. Cathy Lyons of Russell Carter Artist Management wrote that “doctors and hospital care in Toronto were instrumental in saving [Sweet’s] life,” adding he “must now be flown back to the States on an ambulance transport plane with medical staff on board, to a specialized rehabilitation center, where he will receive around-the-clock care and therapy for six weeks. He will then require months of treatment and rehabilitation that we hope will lead to a full recovery.” Sweet turned 60 on October 6.
The original financial target was $250,000. Fortunately, donations from fans and fellow musicians have surpassed that and the goal has been increased several times. As of Oct. 28, the fund has raised in excess of $435,000 with the goal now set at $750,000. (An anonymous donor contributed $10,000.)
On Oct. 25, Sweet’s manager, Russell Carter, shared a significant update on Sweet’s condition. “Matthew… has already had a successful but tough first couple of days at the rehabilitation and therapy hospital back home in Omaha. After going through several rounds of testing and evaluations, we’re thrilled to report he’s begun physical and speech therapy. His doctors have told us with reasonable certainty that Matthew will need to remain in the hospital’s care until early December at the soonest when he will then transfer to home care with a professional caretaker. That next stage of outpatient therapy will last anywhere from six months to a year. Furthermore, the doctors have told us he’ll have to convert a den into a bedroom on the first floor of his house and upgrade the adjacent bathroom to be ADA compliant.
The chart posted at Matthew’s bedside gives his basic vitals and measurement along with his primary therapy goal. Matthew’s goal is not to walk and talk – it reads very clearly in black sharpie, “my goal is to play guitar and sing and make art.” He is very determined and we all can put faith in that!”
Sweet was born in Lincoln, Neb. and moved to Athens, Ga. in the early 1980s at the urging of his pen pal, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. As a student at the Univ. of Georgia, he was immersed in the college town’s burgeoning alternative rock scene, playing in pioneering acts like Oh-OK and the Buzz of Delight. At 20, he left Georgia for New York City and a deal with Columbia Records, where he released his debut solo album, Inside, in 1986, to little success. In the ensuing years, he moved to the outskirts of Princeton, New Jersey, where he composed the songs that became 1991’s Girlfriend, the commercial breakthrough that his longtime supporters in the industry knew to be inevitable. The singles “Girlfriend” and “I’ve Been Waiting” earned Sweet an international following. Altered Beast (1993) continued the hot streak with singles “Ugly Truth” and “Time Capsule,” while 1995’s 100% Fun single “Sick of Myself” reached #2 on rock radio, breaking him even wider.
Watch Sweet perform “Girlfriend” earlier this year
Sweet continued to evolve over a string of well-received albums in the early 2000s. In 2006, he joined forces with Bangles front woman Susanna Hoffs to record a series of covers from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, Under the Covers, Vol. 1–3. Sweet’s music has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and games.
The GoFundMe post noted, “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.”
Related: Sweet joined a stellar lineup on a Badfinger tribute album
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Jump into a conversationSweet was also in a band called The Thorns with Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins, who put out an album titled “The Thorns” which had several hit songs, including “Runaway Feeling”, “Think It Over”, “No Blue Sky”, “Dragonfly” and “I Set The World On Fire”.
Hate hearing this, especially as it sounds like a really long road to recovery. Sweet is one of my favorites from the ’90s. The first time I heard the song “Girlfriend”, I HAD to buy the CD, and I bought every one that came after for the next decade.