Ex-MTV Host Matt Pinfield Awakens from a Two-Month Coma Following a Massive Stroke

Finally, some good fuckin’ news to report on. After being in a coma for roughly two months, former MTV host and VJ Matt Pinfield is up and functioning again. In an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter, Pinfield described his experience following a massive stroke he suffered this past January and what he plans to do moving forward.

In his first interview since regaining consciousness, Pinfield said he’s learned that things were extremely dire immediately after his stroke. In fact, it was looking at one point like he may never recover.

“I’m recovering and am going to come back swinging. I was unresponsive for two months. Friends were thinking they were coming to see me for the last time. The doctors never expected me to speak or to walk again.”

Perhaps most known for hosting alt-rock show 120 Minutes, which featured the biggest names in rock from 1995-1999 on MTV, Pinfield also worked as vice president of A&R and artist development for Columbia Records in the 2000s. Lately, he’d been working as a radio DJ.

Things however took a turn for the worse on January 6 when he suffered the aforementioned massive stroke. Pinfield’s health issues compounded upon one another when he developed a pneumonia and was put on a ventilator. Things looked so bad that during his hospitalization, Pinfield’s oldest daughter Jessica gained temporary guardianship of her father’s medical and financial decisions. It was her effort, Pinfield said that “she’s the one who saved my life.”

Eventually, Pinfield recovered and according to his friends, was immediately thinking about music —specifically about Procol Harum.

“My friends said I went on about ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ and how they couldn’t keep up with what I was saying. They were, like, ‘Yeah, he’s still got that brain.’”

Though he’s still recovering in the hospital, Pinfield said he was told he might be able to leave closer to the end of the month. Still, he said he recognizes all the love and hope that surrounded him as he recovered.

”I want to say how great grateful I am for all the people that that were wishing me well. The love of the community helped me get through this…I’m definitely going to take some time to recover. Then I’ll do my radio shows again and get back to work doing what I love, which is to entertain people playing music.”