Lucinda Williams Reveals She’s Recovering From Stroke

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Lucinda Williams Reveals She’s Recovering From Stroke

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Lucinda Williams had a stroke in November of last year, as she revealed in a new interview with Rolling Stone. The 68-year-old musician spent five weeks in the hospital being treated for a blood clot that developed on the right side of her brain. Since being discharged, she’s been undergoing physical therapy and is expected to make a full recovery. Right now, though, she walks with a cane and is not able to play guitar.

“What happens is your brain gets all… the wires get all crossed and you have to retrain your brain basically, to tell your arm to do whatever it is you’re trying to do,” Williams said in the interview. “So that’s the biggest challenge.” Talking about the therapists that are now constantly in her home, she said: “It feels like we’re in somebody else’s house. “I do, like, walking, with the cane and they watch me and see how well I’m doing. And then I have to do hand and arm exercises. It’s really about regaining my strength and mobility, and range of motion. That’s what they work with me on.”

Williams is scheduled to open for Jason Isbell at some shows in late July and said she is planning on performing at those, though she cancelled a festival appearance that was supposed to take place this weekend. “I don’t know if I’ll stand up and sing or I’ll sit down like an old blues person. But we’ll figure it out.”

She’s still writing lyrics and recently went to Nashville to sing on an upcoming cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Sway” for Chrissie Hynde. “The main thing is I can still sing. I’m singing my ass off, so that hasn’t been affected,” Williams said. “Can’t keep me down for too long.”

Williams released a new album, Good Souls Better Angels, in April of last year.

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