Matthew Sweet suffers stroke in Toronto while on tour with Hanson

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Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet is recovering after suffering a “debilitating” stroke in Toronto while on tour with Hanson.

Catherine Lyons, who represents Sweet at Russell Carter Artist Management, posted a GoFundMe seeking $250,000 in donations to help with the Girlfriend singer’s medical bills after he suffered the medical emergency earlier this month.

“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,” she shared.

So far, more than 2,600 people have donated to the cause with US$159,000 raised as of Wednesday morning. Celebrity names like Judd Apatow, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, and Jon Cryer were listed among the contributors.

“Last week, Matthew Sweet was forced to cancel an extensive cross-country tour of both headline dates and opening slots for longtime friends, Hanson after suffering a debilitating stroke in Toronto late Saturday evening (October 12). Matthew was quickly admitted to Toronto Western Hospital where he was put into excellent care and taken out of immediate danger,” Carter, Sweet’s longtime manager, said in a statement shared with Postmedia.

In his message, Carter said that the 60-year-old artist was back in his home state of Nebraska recuperating.

“Matthew was transferred to a rehabilitation centre back home in Omaha today where he will undergo extensive therapy,” Carter said. “He is now on a long, difficult road to recovery. All of us who know and love Matthew have hope for a speedy recovery. Matthew has always been intensely focused and tenacious in all of his endeavors – not only in his recording career, but in all of his artistic and intellectual pursuits.

“I am confident that his signature determination will serve him well as he focuses now on recovery to good health.” 

In his GoFundMe page, Lyons thanked the medical staff in Toronto and said they “were instrumental in saving Matthew’s life,” but said that “the costs for all of (his) treatment will be overwhelming.”

“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,” she wrote.

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With his primary source of income coming from touring, Carter said Sweet “cannot perform for the foreseeable future.”

“Matthew’s medical expenses in Canada and Omaha are exorbitant,” he said. “We have set up a GoFundMe campaign so family, friends, and Matthew’s amazing network of fans can contribute to help pay his medical expenses. Please contribute if you can and please repost the link to the GoFundMe fundraiser anywhere you can.”

Lyons ran through Sweet’s lengthy list of musical credits in her GoFundMe appeal.

“For those who do not know Matthew personally, you are probably familiar with his music,” she wrote. “Matthew Sweet emerged from the 80’s Athens, Georgia music scene and became a leading figure of the power pop revival in the 90’s with the release of his album Girlfriend in 1991. The songs Girlfriend and I’ve Been Waiting became fan favourites. His next two records, Altered Beast (1993) and 100% Fun (1995) included the popular songs Time Capsule and Sick of Myself.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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