Power-pop rocker Matthew Sweet, best known for his early ’90s hit “Girlfriend,” suffered a stroke in Toronto while on tour.
A GoFundMe set up by Sweet’s management shares, “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,” the page continues. “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. Needless to say, the costs for all of this treatment will be overwhelming.”
The GoFundMe is hoping to raise $250,000. So far, the campaign has received donations of $1,500 from Judd Apatow and $1,000 from John Mayer, Ken Jennings, Peter Buck and Jon Cryer.
“Girlfriend,” the title track off Sweet’s 1991 album, was a top-10 single on Billboard’s Alternative and Mainstream Rock Airplay charts. It was introduced to a new audience when it was included in 2006’s Guitar Hero II video game.
Sweet, 60, also charted singles with “Sick of Myself,” “The Ugly Truth” and “Where You Get Love.”
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
