Gary Bracher

I had my stroke in October 1999 (affecting my left side) and, being a professional musician, it left me not only devastated but also out of work. During my years as a bass player I had worked with Nils Lofgren, Pearl Jam, members of the Rubettes, Procul Harum, Love Affair, Ozzy Osbourne, Cozy Powell and Limahl to name but a few.

While I was in hospital I was offered the gig to tour with Tony Hadley (ex Spandau Ballet), which I had to turn down and later with Bryan Adams at Milton Keynes Bowl. All of sudden, as "The Beatles" once said, my life had changed in so many ways, my independence seemed to vanish in a haze. All the traveling around the world and getting paid for it seemed like a dream, and that I had just woken up to reality. But, thanks to the staff on the Windsor Ward at Southend Hospital, I was walking again within six weeks, with physiotherapy starting the day after I had the stroke.

While I was in hospital, eight weeks in all, and being woken at six o'clock every morning (I was used to getting home at that time), I had plenty of time to think of the future and what I was going to do. I was only 42 and didn't want to spend the rest of my life depending on other people. I was determined to get my life back on track, even if that meant not riding motorbikes and not playing my guitar again.

After a lot of thought and encouragement from my family and friends, I decided to go into the legal side of the music business. After six months of recuperation, living at my mother's (I had joined Different Strokes about this time), I moved back into my flat and started looking for business premises. I'd already completed a business course so I compiled a business plan, went to a bank to present my ideas, ploughed my savings into the project and Gabra Music (Publishing) was formed, helping young musicians to collect their royalties and showing them how to claim by registering their songs with the appropriate bodies. Since then it has been going from strength to strength spawning three new companies, Urchin Records, Bracher-Martin Productions (Finland) and On-Tour-Age, the latter which organizes tours for bands. They are now all under one name, the Gabra Group. I have offices in Southend, London, Falkirk, Helsinki and California and am about to open another office in Italy, I have also just brought a share of a pub/music venue here in sunny Southend.

There is life after stroke, if you really want it. Just work out what you want and go for it.

Before I close I would just like to say thanks to the Different Strokes group here in Southend for the help and support, I couldn't have done without you. And a special thanks to Kathleen Marshall and the Edinburgh group who kindly let me exercise with them while I was visiting Scotland.

Thanks to Gary for sending in his profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)

• c/o PROFILES,
• Click here for address