An Inverness man has defied the odds to resume his music career, despite suffering a stroke that left him unable to walk or speak—by teaching himself to play the guitar one-handed.
Tony Romaine, 49, spent seven months in the hospital recovering from a stroke that struck unexpectedly two years ago. The father of four was found by his wife, Lynn, lying on the couch unable to move or call for help after a clot disrupted the blood flow to his brain.
However, earlier this year, Tony marked a triumphant return to the stage, playing his first gig since the stroke, with plans for more performances in 2025.
“I couldn’t imagine my life without music,” says Tony, who was initially unable to even swallow after the stroke. “When people said I probably wouldn’t be able to play again, I wasn’t going to listen. Part of me thought, ‘I’ll prove you wrong,’ but I just had to get back to playing.”
A music lover since childhood, Tony regularly performed around Inverness. In 2022, despite feeling unwell, he pushed through to play a couple of shows, unaware that within days, doctors would warn his family to prepare for the worst.
“The day after the gig, I was resting on the couch and ordering a takeaway. By the time it arrived, I started feeling weak, but I just thought I was tired. I never suspected a stroke. As I was about to go to bed, I lay down, and suddenly, I couldn’t move at all. I tried to shout out, but I realized I couldn’t speak either.”
Lynn found Tony the next morning and immediately called for an ambulance. Doctors confirmed that the stroke, caused by a clot in his brainstem, was so severe they couldn’t do anything to dissolve it.
“My family was told I might not survive the night. I was struggling to breathe and had tubes in me,” Tony recalls.
The stroke left Tony unable to eat or speak for several weeks while he was treated at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, first in the ICU, then in the stroke unit. Afterward, he spent another five months in rehab at the RNI Community Hospital.
Initially, Tony’s recovery focused on helping him walk again, but he was already planning to return to playing the guitar.
“The physiotherapist’s first goal was to help me sit up, but I was already thinking about music. I wasn’t sure how I would do it, but I had to figure it out,” he says.
As his physical recovery progressed, Tony began experimenting with playing the guitar again, even though his left hand and arm were still paralyzed. “I didn’t know how I would manage, but once I figured out a few techniques, I kept practicing.”
The first song he re-learned was Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles, rearranged to make it easier for him to play. He found inspiration in figures like Edwyn Collins, who suffered a stroke in 2005 but returned to performing and recording music.
Tony’s determination led to more than just re-learning old songs—he started working on new material, too. In August, he released the song Standing Stone on streaming platforms.
That same month, Tony achieved another milestone: his first live performance in two years. He took the stage at the Rose Street Foundry in Inverness, playing for 30 minutes.
“I was absolutely exhausted,” Tony recalls. “By the end, I stood out of my wheelchair, and my legs were shaking. But I’m building up my stamina. I’m aiming for 90 minutes for my next gig, maybe in two sets of 45 minutes.”
Tony’s upcoming shows will also have a charitable purpose. He plans to raise funds for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, who supported him through his rehab, and his next performance at the Tooth and Claw in Inverness will benefit the Oxygen Works charity.
“When I was in the hospital, I saw people who had given up, and that really saddened me,” Tony says. “I understand it’s a tough road, but I don’t want anyone to give up. I want people to know it’s possible to come through this.”
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