United Kingdom, March 7 -- Edwyn Collins "felt he was fighting for his life" during his stroke ordeal.

The 65-year-old musician had to go through a lengthy programme of neurological rehabilitation after a major health crisis left him unable to speak in 2005 and thought that that was going to be the end for him.

In a Q+A with readers of The Guardian, he was asked what "inspires" him to carry on, and he replied: "In hospital, even my pupils didn't react. It looked like curtains for me. But my doctor decided to operate. And I'm grateful. Even when I was unconscious, I felt I was fighting for my life."

But the 'A Girl Like You' hitmaker - who is married to his manager Grace Maxwell and has son William, 25, with her - refused to give up on ...