British musician Michael Kiwanuka has disclosed that he suffered a stroke earlier this year.
On Wednesday, the singer-songwriter shared a letter with fans, explaining that “a few months ago” he had a “quite severe” stroke that was triggered “by a bleed in my brain brought on by high blood pressure”.
He wrote: “It’s a long journey recovering from a stroke, which is why I missed some gigs recently out in the US, but I look forward to seeing you all soon.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be able to be back out on the road or what that will look like, the brain injury I suffered was quite severe so there’s a lot of rehab to be done, it’s a long, tough journey ahead but I’m fighting to get better. It has been a difficult few months I must say but it feels like I’m on my way there now.”
Michael’s news came as he teased the upcoming release of his fifth album Fudge, claiming he was “especially happy” to be making the announcement in light of the “health problems which would heavily hinder and get in the way of me making music for the foreseeable future”.
The 39-year-old added: “I want to say a special thank you to all the incredible NHS staff and every single medical professional who has helped care for me and continue to help and encourage me in my recovery.
“And thank you to my friends and family for their continued support and to my team who will keep you updated with all things Fudge-related.”
“This has definitely been one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced and I’ll be happy to be on the other side of it when the time comes,” Michael concluded. “Until then I wish you all well and look forward to seeing you further down the line.”
Michael has been a critical favourite on the music scene since his debut in the early 2010s, around the time of which he was nominated for the BBC Sound Of 2012 title.
He’s been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize three times, including a win in 2020, and is also a Grammy and five-time Brit Award nominee.
