If I were to begin this feature listing all the credits and incredible things that Matt Pinfield has accomplished, it would consume the majority of the story.
Rock journalist, radio host, MTV host, A&R man and the list goes on. Pinfield has been in the news for other reasons this year after he suffered a stroke in January, one that he wasn’t expected to survive.
However, he is back, hosting his radio show on 88.5 The SoCal Sound, and this past weekend, he returned to hosting duties for the syndicated “Flashback With Matt Pinfield.”
When I reached out to Matt to catch up, I told him that I didn’t want his health to be the focus of the feature, but that a quick update was something that readers would want.
“I am making improvements every single day,” said Pinfield. “Medical professors did not expect me to survive; they told my family basically to come and say goodbye to me numerous times during that period of coma.”
“One of the things they said was that my radio career was probably over. But then it was really funny, because a friend of mine happened to be in the hospital. My friend Allison, I’ve known her for a long time. She used to be a global head of Rock for Spotify.”
“When they walked out of the hospital, she said, ‘I don’t think you people know Matt Pinfield. If he’s alive, he’ll be talking. He’s like that. I don’t believe that at all.”’
“Gratitude is the thing that is keeping me going without a question. And I receive absolute love from the radio community and everybody. All the people who have really been behind me.”
Naturally, Pinfield is excited to be back on the air.
“I am so excited to be back on the radio. I love doing my radio shows so much. Radio has always been something that I’ve been in love with since I was a young child. There was never any doubt that this is what I wanted to do for a living.”
Pinfield has developed friendships through the years with the Mount Rushmore of Rock. I asked him about his recent gift from Ozzy Osbourne. Known as “The Ozzy Cane.”
“That’s the most amazing thing. Keith (KLOS Los Angeles Master of Mayhem Keith Cunningham) thought it would be a great idea. Sharon said to me, ‘You’ve always been such an ally of the Osborne family, and we’ve always loved you.”’
“When it came, I was just blown away. It came in a box. I thought it was a giant poster from a record label. It was one of Ozzy’s actual canes. I think about three or four were engraved like that.”
“That was a beautiful gift. I think people were just so blown away by it. All my friends. They are big fans of Ozzy and Sabbath. So yeah, that is so cool. It was a great gift.”
I asked if Matt could share some thoughts on Beach Boy Brian Wilson, who passed away on June 11 at the age of 82.
“I absolutely love Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys records so much. It’s obvious that “Pet Sounds” is really special. I love the idea of “Good Vibrations” being a pocket symphony. Just in his contributions to songwriting, production, and harmonies. The absolute brilliance of a young man.”
“He is a national treasure. Being on the radio in Southern California, you know how much the Beach Boys painted this picture and made everyone want to learn to surf.”
“Their impact on so many young people over the years can never be understated. Their biggest rivals and contemporaries. They were Keith Moon’s favorite band.”
I mentioned that, sadly, Rock is losing icons. “To let people know, not only am I sitting here in my fight to get better and get stronger after the stroke. But to show my appreciation for all the artists and music that has meant so much to me for my entire life.”
“We are in that period where we’re losing some of our incredible icons. I mean, you look back at everybody from Prince to David Bowie. It seems like every year.
I asked if Pinfield saw a path for the next generation of icons.
“I’m always hoping so. I mean, there are bands that I certainly like. I’m always looking into new music. When people say there’s not great new music, I’m like, well, it’s just because maybe they aren’t being pointed in the right direction or finding the right curation. I believe there are always great young artists coming out, and there are a lot of people I’m very hopeful for.”
So, what is the state of Alternative music now?
“I do think that there are quite a few artists that I wish could get some airtime, because there’s always some exciting new stuff coming out. There seems to be a trend to help break new artists. I think it’s super important.”
“I still get excited about Rock and Alternative and some of the Triple-A stuff. There are quite a few artists who have been around for a while who are also putting out good music. I’m always looking for something new to get excited about. I’ll never stop looking for new music and trying to expose it. It’s very important.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
