However, Clive’s entire lifework in music and performance quickly dissolved when a virus that normally created blisters on the mouth invaded his brain.Ĭlive had suffered from a common form of the herpes virus (HSV-1) which on rare occasions (1 in 500,000 annually Whitley, 2006) invades the central nervous system and causes a condition called herpes encephalitis. Clive had produced music for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), including music that appeared during the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (Sacks, 2007 Wilson, Baddeley & Kapur, 1995 Wilson, Kopelman & Kapur, 2008). As Deborah called the doctors in a freight, Clive went unconscious and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.īefore these symptoms arose, Clive Wearing had been a widely accomplished musician, a conductor who sang at Westminster Cathedral for many years and also a regular guest to Covent Garden and London Sinfonietta as chorus master instructing singers and instrumentalists through emotionally complex music of his favorite composer, Orlande de Lassus. Awaking Friday morning Clive’s symptoms appeared to be getting worse where his confusion was so severe that he could not recognize the toilet among other items in the bathroom. Although Clive did not even recognize their home upon arrival, Clive was escorted inside where he rested more. Clive was later found when a cab driver dropped him off a the local police station because he was unable to recall his address to get home after he had wandered off. She called for Clive and looked everywhere in the house but he was nowhere to be found. To her surprise, all she found was a heap of pajamas. Later in the day after leaving Clive to sleep, Deborah returned home expecting to find Clive napping on the couch. think of your name” (Wearing, 2005, p.31).ĭeborah called the doctors immediately who arrived a couple hours later and informed her that her husbands confusion was related to the lack of sleep Clive had just experienced prescribing sleeping pills.

On the third day, Clive turned to his wife remarking “darling…. Clive spend three nights completely awake and in pain.

Over the next couple days, Clive’s symptoms declined and the doctors caring for Clive continued to tell his wife Deborah he would be fine and was getting over a bad case of the flu. Clive reported to his wife he was experiencing a “constant, terrible” headache, as if a “band” of pain was tightening like vice on his head (Wearing, 2005, p.27). On March 25th 1985, Clive Wearing tossed and turned unable to sleep due to an extremely high fever causing him to sweat and vomit. After developing a brain infection that nearly took his life, his musical abilities remained intact but his memory was never the same. JIRI REZAC

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