Former MTV host Matt Pinfield emerges from two-month coma after severe stroke

In a remarkable turn of events, veteran music personality Matt Pinfield has regained consciousness after spending approximately two months in a coma following a devastating stroke in January. The former MTV host and VJ recently shared his recovery journey in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing both the gravity of his condition and his determined outlook for the future.

“I’m recovering and am going to come back swinging,” Pinfield told the publication in his first post-coma interview. “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.”

Pinfield, best known for hosting the influential alternative rock program “120 Minutes” on MTV from 1995-1999, has been a significant figure in the music industry for decades. His career expanded beyond television when he served as vice president of A&R and artist development at Columbia Records during the 2000s, and more recently, he had been working as a radio DJ.

His health crisis began on January 6 when he suffered what doctors described as a massive stroke. Complications arose when Pinfield subsequently developed pneumonia and required ventilator support. The situation became so dire that his eldest daughter Jessica assumed temporary guardianship over his medical and financial decisions—an intervention that Pinfield credits with saving his life.

Friends reported that upon regaining consciousness, Pinfield’s passion for music was immediately evident. “My friends said I went on about ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ and how they couldn’t keep up with what I was saying,” he recalled. “They were, like, ‘Yeah, he’s still got that brain.'”

While still recuperating in the hospital, Pinfield maintains an optimistic perspective. Doctors have indicated he might be discharged by the end of the month. The music veteran expressed profound gratitude for the support he received during his ordeal.

“I want to say how grateful I am for all the people that were wishing me well. The love of the community helped me get through this,” he shared. “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.”