Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet suffered a “debilitating” stroke while on tour in Toronto in mid-October, his manager confirmed Wednesday.
To help with recovery expenses, Sweet's management company, Russell Carter Artist Management, posted a letter GoFundMe page this week.
“He is now on a long and difficult road to recovery,” Russell Carter said in a statement to NBC News. “He cannot perform for the foreseeable future.”
The 60-year-old Sweat, best known for 1990s alternative rock songs like “Girlfriend” and “I've Been Waiting,” currently has “no insurance or touring income,” the page says.
“Doctors and hospital care in Toronto were instrumental in saving Matthew’s life, but health care is not free for Americans in Canada,” Katherine Lyons, who represents Sweet for Russell Carter Artist Management and organized the fundraiser, wrote in the GoFundMe page description.
Lyons said Sweet should be returned to the United States on an ambulance plane with medical staff on board, then spend six weeks in a specialized rehabilitation center “where he will receive around-the-clock care and treatment.” This will be followed by months of treatment and rehabilitation, she added, estimating the total cost of Sweet's care at “nearly a quarter of a million dollars.”
“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 notable names like director Judd Apatow, musician John Mayer, and guitarist Peter Buck.
“Matthew has always been extremely focused and persistent in all of his endeavors, not only in his recording career, but in all of his artistic and intellectual endeavors,” Carter said. “I am confident that his distinctive design will serve him well as he now focuses on recovering for good health.”
Sweet had his month-long shows canceled this month due to health issues, he shared in an Instagram post. He was opening for fellow 90s stars Hanson at the time, and was preparing for his own headline dates.
“Due to a medical illness and on the advice of doctors, Matthew Sweet must cancel all remaining upcoming shows with Hanson, and his headline dates, from October 10 to November 16,” the post read.
Sweet has recorded more than a dozen albums since the release of his debut album, “Inside,” in 1986. His most recent album, “Catspaw,” was released in 2021.
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