Singer Matthew Sweet suffers ‘debilitating’ stroke while on tour with Hanson

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Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines October 23

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Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet suffered a debilitating stroke while on tour opening for Hanson.

Sweet’s manager, Russell Carter, confirmed the news to Fox News Digital in a statement.

"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 (Oct. 12)," Carter wrote. 

"Matthew was quickly admitted to Toronto Western Hospital where he was put into excellent care and taken out of immediate danger. Matthew was transferred to a rehabilitation center back home in Omaha today, where he will undergo extensive therapy. He is now on a long, difficult road to recovery.

Matthew Sweet, right, suffered a "debilitating" stroke while on tour with popular '90s band Hanson. (R. Diamond/Getty Images)

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"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."

Sweet, 60, had been on tour with his acoustic trio, doing a blend of shows opening for Hanson and his own headlining gigs. He would have completed his work with Hanson Nov. 10 in Los Angeles before continuing with his headlining shows through Nov. 16 in Seattle.

Sweet was doing a combo of shows opening for Hanson as well as his own solo gigs. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

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A representative for Hanson told Fox News Digital, "Matthew is a gifted artist we’ve been honored to know and work with for 20 years. We were thrilled to have him on tour with us celebrating our album he helped create two decades ago, and now we send heartfelt prayers and wishes for his speedy recovery. We encourage everyone who can to support his go fund me to help ease the burden of this sudden and unexpected ordeal. We look forward to sharing the stage together again as soon as possible."

Carter said Sweet cannot perform "for the foreseeable future," and medical costs between Canada and Omaha are adding up for the musician.

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"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," Carter said.

Sweet's manager, Russell Carter, said the musician has a "long difficult road to recovery" and cannot perform "for the foreseeable future." (Noam Galai/Getty Images)

Sweet is best known for his 1990s albums "Girlfriend" and "Altered Beast" and released an album in 2021, "Catspaw."

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His music has been featured in dozens of film and TV projects, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Can't Hardly Wait" and "My Name Is Earl." Sweet and his wife Lisa also served as research consultants on Tim Burton's 2014 film "Big Eyes," about painter Margaret Keane. 

Fox News Digital's Janelle Ash contributed to this report