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GoFundMe Campaign Launches After Singer Matthew Sweet Suffers Stroke

The management team behind musician Matthew Sweet announced a GoFundMe campaign on his Facebook page on October 23, after revealing he had suffered a stroke. Sweet first canceled a planned tour date in Toronto due to then-unspecified illness on October 13, then canceled all remaining tour stops through November 13 on the advice of his doctors.

An avid anime fan, Sweet's included clips of Space Adventure Cobra in the music video for “Girlfriend,” his 1991 hit which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts. He also used clips from the Urusei Yatsura anime series and films in the music video of another 1991 song, “I've Been Waiting.” Sweet listed his top 10 favorite anime series, films, and OVAs in the booklet for the Japanese release of his 1995 album 100% Fun.

As of the writing of this article, Sweet has raised US$363,172 from over 6,500 people. The entertainment news source Deadline notes the campaign has received donations from director Judd Apatow, musician John Mayer, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings, and actor Jon Cryer. According to the GoFundMe page, the funds will be used to transport the singer from Canada to the United States, treatment at a specialized rehabilitation center, and subsequent treatment and rehabilitation.

Sources: Matthew Sweet's Facebook page (link 2, link 3), GoFundMe, Variety, Deadline