Music

Bad Brains singer H.R. is suffering from a rare neurobiological disease

by Richard Howard

Bad Brains vocalist Paul “H.R.” Hudson has long been suspected to be suffering from mental health issues, displaying erratic behavior both on and off stage. Whether this is the case or not, his wife has now revealed that the iconic frontman is suffering from a rare and debilitating neurobiological disease.

Lori Hudson explained on the GoFundMe page created to raise funds for H.R.’s care that the legendary punk singer is suffering from SUNCT, a rare type of primary headache similar to the notorious cluster or ‘suicide’ headaches. She painted a dark picture of H.R.’s current daily life:

“The headaches come randomly, with no warning, at all hours of the day and night; but for him, they are much worse at night. The intensity of the nighttime headaches is so great that he yells, cries out, groans, and sobs — repeatedly, every few minutes, for most of the night. He can’t work. He has no quality of life. If you call him and ask how he is, he will say, ‘Everything’s okay,’ because that’s just how he is. But everything is not okay.”

She spoke of numerous consultations with doctors in the past few years and successes at addressing other issues. However, Hudson says they are yet to find a solution to his SUNCT affliction, and the disease is taking its toll on them both physically, emotionally, and financially:

“It’s two steps forward, three steps back. He has an appointment in early May at a Headache Center – not fully covered by health insurance – where we hope to find someone with experience with this type of headache. He’s on a cocktail of pharmaceuticals that scares me. He has lost weight, with visible muscle wasting. As a clinical herbalist, you can be sure that I have also been tapping into my extensive knowledge of natural medicine. Nothing is working YET. I know what we need to try next, including acupuncture and some herbal preparations, however we can’t manage the costs of these treatments… the emotional and psychological stress of watching him be in pain and not being able to do a damn thing about it is wearing me down. He needs me to be around more and he needs me to be at my best. I can’t do this alone anymore. We need your help.”

This is the second major health issue that the band has experienced in as many years. In November of 2015, guitarist Dr. Know suffered a heart attack that progressed to multiple organ failure and saw him temporarily being placed on life support. A GoFundMe campaign launched at that time has raised nearly $42,000 of the $100,000 goal. The “Health Fund for HR (Paul Hudson)” page is seeking half that amount.

[h/t Punk News]