In May 2023, singer-songwriter Jesse Malin’s life took a sudden turn when he suffered a rare spinal stroke, leaving him paralyzed below the waist.

The Queens native, who was attending a dinner celebrating the life of D Generation bandmate Howie Pyro — who passed away in 2022 — described the event as a complete shock.

"Who knew just walking to an Italian restaurant at 6 p.m. on an afternoon to celebrate a friend of mine that these things just come, and you have to deal with it, and that's what I'm doing," he said.

What You Need To Know

  • Singer and songwriter Jesse Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke in 2023, leaving him paralyzed below the waist

  • Malin has been in physical therapy since and has received stem cell treatments in Argentina

  • A new tribute album to benefit Malin has been released, plus there are two upcoming benefit concerts at the Beacon Theatre

The musician, known for his work with the 1980s hardcore punk band Heart Attack and glam punk outfit D Generation, spent months in the hospital undergoing treatment. That was followed by extensive physical therapy and visits to a stem cell clinic in Argentina.

Despite the challenges, Malin said he is making progress and can get up on his feet using a walker.

"I'm still believing that I will get this back, that I will get my sensitivity back and get my mobility back," Malin said in an interview in the East Village, where he’s a well-known figure, outside St. Mark's Church in the Bowery.

Support for Malin has poured in from the music community.

A benefit album, “Silver Patron Saints,” featuring covers of his songs, includes contributions from artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Lucinda Williams and Murphy’s Law, with close friend Jimmy G.

"It's really nice hearing people doing versions of my songs and hear where they went with it," Malin said.

Malin has two benefit shows scheduled at the Beacon Theatre — one on Dec. 1, which is already sold out, and one on Dec. 2, with tickets still available. It's a chance to get back to doing what he loves most, performing live.

"It's everything to me. It gave me something to look forward to and something to work toward," he said.

A new single, “Argentina,” is out Oct. 25, but Malin said his main focus is learning to walk and dance again.

"I want to go as far as I can, and I plan on it. It’s just, I'm inpatient, I do like to work hard if I have to. It's keeping my mind in the right place and keeping me going forward with my body," he said.

Malin said he looks forward to getting back to one of his favorite things in life: just walking out his door, and discovering what the city has to offer that day.

Tickets for the Dec. 2 show can be found at jessemalin.com.