The now-74-year-old Rodgers suffered 11 minor strokes and two major strokes — one in 2016 and another in October 2019 — several years ago, leaving him unable to talk.

Rodgers eventually underwent an endarterectomy, a procedure to remove plaque clogging a carotid artery, which posed a considerable risk to his vocal cords. It took Rodgers six months after the surgery to return to playing the guitar and singing and considerably longer than that to regain his full singing voice. Paul eventually returned to the studio in Vancouver and began recording "Midnight Rose".