Iconic Rock personality Matt Pinfield is on the path to recovery – and a return to radio – after an intense health scare to start the year. The SoCal Sound (KCSN) and KLOS host and former MTV VJ suffered a stroke in January, leading to two months of unresponsiveness.
He has since been released from the ICU and is currently in a rehabilitation center in Los Angeles.
In a statement shared with Radio Ink, Pinfield said, “I am so grateful to be alive. The general consensus was that I wasn’t going to make it and here I am! I am overwhelmed and humbled by your love. I am beyond grateful for those that have stuck by me. My radio family includes my listeners, my dear friends and the wonderful radio companies that continue to support me. It means the world to me.”
“I cannot wait to get back to hosting Flashback, KLOS and SoCal Sound. We were told I might not speak or walk again and my voice is back and I am doing five hours of physical therapy a day and my walking continues to improve. There is nothing like my radio community. I love you all,” he added.
Since the announcement, there has been an outpouring of relief and encouragement from his radio family on-air and on social media. Fellow KLOS host Nik Carter told Radio Ink, “Pinfield is necessary AND indestructible! Mark my words when Armageddon comes it will be Matt and Keith Richards, sharing a Twinkie, riding a radioactive cockroach the size of a Mini Cooper.”
Pinfield rose to prominence as an MTV VJ and host of the alternative music program 120 Minutes. He also held positions at Columbia Records and SiriusXM. Since January 2021, Pinfield has hosted New & Approved on 95.5 KLOS, a weekly show featuring new rock songs, artist interviews, and local band spotlights. In March 2024, he joined Los Angeles’ The SoCal Sound 88.5 as the afternoon drive host, succeeding Andy Chanley.
Wishing Matt a full recovery! His dedication to radio and music is truly inspiring—excited to see him back doing what he loves