Scott McCaughey, leader of the Young Fresh Fellows and the Minus 5, and who spent 17 years as a touring guitarist and multi-instrumentalist for R.E.M., suffered a stroke while on a tour of the West Coast with Alejandro Escovedo, his wife announced today.

In a note posted today on the Minus 5’s Facebook page, McCaughey’s wife, Mary Winzig, reports the musician is in stable condition following the medical emergency, but that “the road to recovery will be a long one, and we believe it will come through music.”

In that same statement, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, who also is touring with Escovedo and has played in a variety of groups with McCaughey including the Minus 5 and the Baseball Project, hailed his friend and bandmate since the Monster era: “Scott McCaughey is one of the unsung heroes of rock ‘n’ roll,” Buck wrote. “A true believer and one of the most creative people I have ever met.”

In his own statement, Escovedo said he’s postponing the remainder of the tour “but will return as soon as Scott is able.” He added: “I’ve met a lot of people in this business (over 40 years) and Scott is truly one of the finest. Please send all of your positive energy towards Scott and his family.”

Read the statements from Winzig and Escovedo, and tweets from well-wishers, below.