D Generation’s Jesse Malin Partially Paralyzed After Rare Spinal Stroke

Jesse Malin, the lead vocalist of the glammy punk act D Generation and a New York rock lifer who's released several revered solo albums, is opening up about a rare spinal stroke he recently suffered that he said has left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Last year, Malin publicly mourned the death of his D Generation bandmate Howie Pyro. Coincidentally, Malin experienced the exceedingly rare spinal cord infarction at an event in May memorializing the late bassist.

At the dinner in New York City's East Village, Mailin said he felt a burning sensation in his lower back that radiated down to his feet. He subsequently collapsed on the floor and was unable to walk..

READ MORE: An Oral History of D Generation

"Everybody was standing above me like in Rosemary's Baby, saying all these different things, and I was there not knowing what was going on with my body," Malin tells Rolling Stone in a June 14 interview from his room at an NYU rehab facility.

"This is the hardest six weeks that I've ever had," he continues. "I'm told that they don't really understand it, and they're not sure of the chances."

Malin adds, "The reports from the doctors have been tough, and there's moments in the day where you want to cry, and where you're scared. But I keep saying to myself that I can make this happen. I can recover my body."

Indeed, the D Generation lead singer is doing his best to stay positive, he told Rolling Stone, even at times that feel so seemingly hopeless as to be surreal.

"They took me outside for the first time the other day in a wheelchair," the rocker explains. "I went through the lobby, and I could see the sun shining through the glass, and I just started bawling. It felt like I was watching myself in this movie. I didn't know this person. By the time I got to the corner, I got myself together and into a park and just breathed in the air."

In May, Malin canceled a tour citing a "serious back injury," as Pitchfork reported. But he offered no further details at that time. Now, Malin's manager and some of the artist's friends have launched a donation campaign to help with his medical expenses.

Below, find a list of bands touring in 2023. Subscribe to Loudwire's newsletter and download the Loudwire app for more rock news.