Bad Brains frontman HR has brain surgery

HR – aka Paul Hudson
HR \u2013 aka Paul Hudson

Bad Brains frontman HR – aka Paul Hudson – has undergone brain surgery.

He announced he was to have an operation earlier this month, after his wife Lori Hudson, who is also his full-time caregiver, lunched a GoFundMe campaign so fans could help support the vocalist who has a neurobiological disorder.

The news was confirmed by the filmmakers behind the documentary Finding Joseph I: An Oral History of HR From Bad Brains.

They say on Facebook: “HR’s surgery went well. He is now in an ICU bed. His wife Lori said he looks good.”

His wife previously said that HR had been suffering from cluster headaches nicknamed Suicide Syndrome. She added: “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 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.”

HR now faces a two-month recovery period, with fans still encouraged to donate what they can to the GoFundMe campaign.

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Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.