Written by: Alex Green
Scott McCaughey, the genial frontman of the Minus 5 and the Young Fresh Fellows is in stable condition following a stroke.
The musician suffered the stroke while on tour with Alejandro Escovedo in San Francisco.
McCaughey, along with Linda Pitmon, Peter Buck and Kurt Bloch were backing Escovedo under the banner of The Burn Something Beautiful Band.
McCaughey is one of the most tireless and productive musicians around. Not only has he played with everyone from R.E.M. to Robyn Hitchcock to M. Ward, he’s also a member of The Baseball Project, Tuatara and The No Ones.
Pitmon wrote of McCaughey on Facebook today: “Some of you are starting to hear about my very dearest friend and bandmate, Scott McCaughey. We are with him in San Francisco where he is undergoing tests and is getting excellent care.”
McCaughey’s wife issued the statement below on her husband’s condition:
Statement from Mary Winzig:
Scott McCaughey, the ever-smiling, sunglasses-wearing front man of the bands The Minus 5 and the Young Fresh Fellows, and side man to countless bands — including M. Ward, The Baseball Project, Tired Pony, and R.E.M. — suffered a stroke while on a West Coast tour with Alejandro Escovedo. He is in stable condition.
Loved by many and a best friend to all, Scott brings a very bright light to the stage. In his ever-changing hats and loud sports coats, Scott exudes such joy while he performs.
“Scott McCaughey is one of the unsung heroes of rock n roll. A true believer and one of the most creative people I have ever met.” says guitarist Peter Buck.
The road to recovery will be a long one, and we believe it will come through music. We can’t wait to see him back in action. The collective energy of the entire creative community is powerful enough to overcome this hurdle. With the love and support of all of you, Scott will continue to share his love of music with the world.
We promise to provide continued updates and will share any messages of support you want to send with him.
Sent with love from Mary Winzig (wife of Scott McCaughey) and the entire R.E.M. community
