Lucinda Williams Suffered Stroke in 2020
At last week’s Mile 0 Fest in Key West, Florida, Lucinda Williams was scheduled to be the headliner, and was supposed to take the stage Thursday night, April 29th. Her name even graces the top of the T-shirts and posters for 2021. But Williams cancelled on April 21st, citing “personal health reasons” not related to COVID-19, and non life-threatening. Now we know why.
Lucinda Williams suffered a stroke on November 17th, 2020. Lucinda was getting ready to take a shower when she began to struggle keeping her balance. Not being able to stand up straight, her husband Tom Overby spoke to Lucinda’s primary care physician, who told Overby to get Lucinda to a hospital right away. They called an ambulance, which took Williams to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.
At the hospital, doctors discovered a blood clot in the right side of her brain, which affected the function of the left side of her body. They treated Lucinda for the blood clot, and she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility, where she spent nearly five weeks, until December 21st when she was discharged.
The good news is Lucinda can still sing and suffered no aphasia, and the prognosis is for a 100% recovery, even though she continues to have pain on her left side, walks with a cane, and currently cannot play guitar. She’s been working towards 100% recovery for the last six months, even as she kept the condition a secret, including to some close friends.
“I thought about going to Facebook, but I didn’t want to make it a big, alarming thing,” Williams tells Rolling Stone. “Because you know how Facebook is — everybody’s like, ‘We’re praying for you and everything,’ you know? I didn’t want people to overreact. I kind of felt like going off the grid a little bit.”
Before the stroke, Lucinda was a regular on COVID-era live streams. The 68-year-old released her latest record Good Souls Better Angels on April 24th, 2020, and it was nominated for Best Americana Album at the Grammy Awards.
Lucinda Williams is planning to return to the stage this summer, and recently was in the studio recording vocal for a cover of “Sway” by the Rolling Stones for an upcoming Chrissie Hynde project. “The main thing is I can still sing. I’m singing my ass off, so that hasn’t been affected,” she assures.
May 3, 2021 @ 9:22 am
Wish her well and pleased to hear it seems she will have a full recovery. First saw her in 1989 (I think) when she was touring behind her self-titled record. Bummed she canceled for Mile 0 but the extended sets by others still made for an excellent experience. Other than the local Milwaukee’s Summerfest (World’s largest musical festival measured by #of acts), Mile 0 will always be my can’t miss festival. (Too old to make festivals a habit!)
And it was a pleasure to meet and chat with you, Trigger!
May 3, 2021 @ 10:05 am
Awful news…
I know she’s scheduled as support for Isbell this summer. Hope she’s able to recover quickly enough to make that happen, but from that report it doesn’t sound like it’s likely.
Regardless, hopefully the family pushes her to take the time necessary to make a full recovery.
May 3, 2021 @ 11:14 am
Good one you, Ms. Lucinda! You’ll get better!
May 3, 2021 @ 11:44 am
Really sorry to hear this, but love her attitude, as usual. One of my favorite artists, and seems like salt of the earth as well.
May 3, 2021 @ 11:49 am
Lucinda Williams!
WHAT A VOICE!
May 3, 2021 @ 2:27 pm
“I thought about going to Facebook, but I didn’t want to make it a big, alarming thing,” Williams tells Rolling Stone. “Because you know how Facebook is — everybody’s like, ‘We’re praying for you and everything,’ you know? I didn’t want people to overreact. I kind of felt like going off the grid a little bit.”
Yeah, having people pray for you and stuff is such a terrible thing.
I enjoy a lot of her music, but have never liked her attitude. Hope she has a full recovery. Might even pray for her, too. Lol.
May 3, 2021 @ 2:34 pm
I understand what she was trying to say. Some folks as soon as something slightly bad happens to them, they rush to social media pawing for sympathy and attention, and to launch a Go Fund Me. Not saying sometimes this isn’t warranted, but there’s a little too much of that these days, in my opinion. I think Lucinda felt she needed to finally address it since she missed her headlining set at Mile 0 Fest this weekend, and probably wants to explain why she’s been out-of-sight now that she’s recovering.
I also agree there’s nothing wrong with “thoughts and prayers” like some in Americana love to say. I will never find fault with thinking, or praying. We probably need more of it these days. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, thoughts and prayers have power.
May 4, 2021 @ 7:06 am
i think you’ll find that very few people have problems with thoughts and prayers in general, even people who are not religious. the problem with thoughts and prayers is when it ends there. no higher power intended for people to just sit idly by and not try to improve a horrible situation themselves.
May 3, 2021 @ 3:00 pm
Facebook is, far and away, the most useless, sophomoric, imbecilic, and damaging major website ever created.
Facebook is an internet dumping ground where people who have never amounted to anything, and who will never amount to anything, nonetheless feel compelled to post all manner of idiocy 24/7.
If I could wave a magic wand and have any website disappear, that would be the one.
I have NEVER had a Facebook account, and never will.
My family taught me to be better than that.
May 3, 2021 @ 4:53 pm
Very well put.
Getting on it never crossed my mind.
May 3, 2021 @ 8:35 pm
“Facebook is, far and away, the most useless, sophomoric, imbecilic, and damaging major website ever created.”
“Facebook is an internet dumping ground where people who have never amounted to anything, and who will never amount to anything, nonetheless feel compelled to post all manner of idiocy 24/7.”
I agree. But how would you know, since you’ve never had an account?
May 4, 2021 @ 7:37 am
How would I know since I’ve never had an account? Is that a serious question?
Facebook BS is UBIQUITOUS. I can’t begin to count how many people have shown me the worthless nonsense that they, or others, have posted to that trash site.
Not only that, but one can read almost daily about some misfortune or ridicule someone suffers as a result of Facebook posts.
Finally, who in the hell would want to put any money into the pockets of a little wimp who, even with all his billions, still cannot afford a decent haircut, choosing, instead, to have some random person cut his hair using a chili bowl and a weed-whacker instead of clippers and scissors?
May 4, 2021 @ 7:50 am
judging someone for their haircut? you may not be on facebook, but you’re living it pal.
May 4, 2021 @ 5:42 am
Feel better now that you’ve gotten that off of your chest?
May 4, 2021 @ 7:39 am
I ALWAYS feel better when I speak the truth.
That’s why I feel really good all the time.
May 4, 2021 @ 7:02 am
your family raised you not to have a facebook? lol
May 4, 2021 @ 7:40 am
My family raised me not to ever blather needlessly about insignificant things, which is the sole purpose of Facebook.
What did your family teach you?
May 4, 2021 @ 7:55 am
big tex – “My family raised me not to ever blather needlessly about insignificant things, which is the sole purpose of Facebook.”
also big tex – “Finally, who in the hell would want to put any money into the pockets of a little wimp who, even with all his billions, still cannot afford a decent haircut, choosing, instead, to have some random person cut his hair using a chili bowl and a weed-whacker instead of clippers and scissors?”
lol.
May 4, 2021 @ 8:16 am
Folks, enough with back and forths here. Please offer your concerns or insight on the stroke suffered by Lucinda Williams, or move on.
May 3, 2021 @ 11:33 pm
@j–You never liked her attitude?
Funny, I don’t like yours. Lol.
May 3, 2021 @ 2:43 pm
How was Mile 0 Fest this year?
Hope everyone had a good time.
May 3, 2021 @ 2:55 pm
I had a great time
I plan to return next January
I thought tho best performances by far were Roger Creager and American Aquarium
I met and hung out with 4 couples each night
The duets were also a real treat
Everyone had a lot of fun
I love Lucinda and hope she returns to good health
She’s always had health issues to deal with and she’s done so with great aplomb, I think.
May 3, 2021 @ 2:59 pm
Fantastic!
That is So great to hear.
Very happy for Lucinda that she is still able to sing.
That alone will help her to heal.
May 3, 2021 @ 2:59 pm
I concur with Chris. It was a great time. Working on a full recap I hope to have posted in a day or two. You can also see a bunch of missives from it on the Saving Country Music Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/saving_country_music/
May 3, 2021 @ 3:05 pm
: D Happy for you guys.
May 4, 2021 @ 6:42 am
It was fantastic. I enjoyed all four years but this one was special. The performers were so grateful to be playing in front of live audiences and it showed.
May 4, 2021 @ 6:57 am
That is So cool.