Rye Coalition’s Herb Wiley Shares ALS Diagnosis
Renowned Jersey City guitarist crowdfunding treatment
Nearly a quarter century ago, I had the opportunity to interview Rye Coalition for my zine, the Interboro Rock Tribune.
If you have never heard of Rye Coalition, I suggest you check them out as you read this. While groups like The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were sucking up all the air in the New York rock scene in the early 2000s, this band — who began in Jersey City over 30 years ago — were releasing classic albums like 2002’s On Top and 2006’s Dave Grohl-produced Curses, filled with post-hardcore energy and classic rock panache.
The band would splinter off into the garage rock faction The Black Hollies, whose last album, 2013’s Between Here and Nowhere, is one of the best works of its kind from that decade — so good, in fact, they’ve yet to follow it up.
One of the catalysts that made both of these bands so great is guitarist Herb Wiley, who just released his solo debut, Wylie, in light of the devastating news that he’s been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was able to complete Wylie, for which he plays all of the instruments, before losing function of his hands and arms. And it’s no doubt a revelation of Herb’s talents as a rock musician and songwriter — a classic rock fever dream that pulls from a lifetime plugged into New York FM radio.
“The story behind it,” says Herb of the LP, “is that I wrote all these songs back in the day around ’98, ’99 and played them out a couple times using my friend Scott (Black Hollies) on drums and Justin (Rye Coalition) on bass. Then I stopped writing the album, joining Rye Coalition to record the On Top LP sessions. During COVID, when everybody was holed up and nobody wanted to do shit with the sky falling, I recorded this slowly in my friend’s basement to tape. I basically waited 25 years to record them properly with hopes to put together a band and play them out. As soon as I was done recording and mixing, all of this started happening to me. It was almost as if, subconsciously, I needed to record them now or I might not be able to. And here we are. Very strange synchronicity. Life is definitely stranger than fiction.”
Give a listen to Wylie below and please consider donating to Herb’s GoFundMe page, which is helping to fund his treatment.
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October 25, 2020 -
I was diagnosed last July. I was wheelchair bound. My feet hurt horribly on the foot petals. I started ALS/MND programme about 4 months ago. I’m now able to walk down the street and back at least I couldn’t do that prior to the ALS treatment. It doesn’t make the ALS go away but it did give me better quality of life. I got the treatment from Uine healthcentre . co m
Thanks
I was diagnosed with bulbar ALS in May 2024. I was wheelchair bound. My feet hurt horribly on the foot petals. I started ALS/MND programme about 4 months ago. I’m now able to walk down the street and back at least I couldn’t do that prior to the ALS treatment. It doesn’t make the ALS go away but it did give me better quality of life. I got the treatment from Uine healthcentre .ne t
I was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS. I had weakness in my arms legs and hands. I lost all of my strength. I had to keep pliers and wrenches scattered around to open things. I couldn’t walk very far, and I lost my balance easily. I had trouble swallowing and drool sometimes. It impacted all my voluntary moves. My hands shake when I eat or write. this year my PCP decided I try alternative treatment as Riluzole caused severe side effects I started on ALS/MND protocol from Limitless health centre which has made my coordination issues go away. That was the biggest thing that convinced me I was on the right track. Everything before that was just small improvements and was up and down at times. I have gained strength in all muscle, but my right wrist and left shoulder are the slowest to improve. My left wrist is almost back to 100%. we got the treatment from limitless healthcenter. co m This is a game changer for people with ALS.
Last year when ALS began to take over, I stopped recognizing myself. I lost my smile, my balance, and my independence. Used different treatments that didn’t work, and my neurologists kept saying, “There’s no cure,” and neither standard treatments like riluzole nor high-dose B12 did very little for me. I used different supplements that didn’t work, so last July, I was recommended treatment from the U.S., and after trying the holistic approach, my recovery has been incredible. My steps are firm, my hands no longer shake, and I speak with confidence. I feel new life flowing through me every day. I got the ALS/MND herba formula from www. Limitless naturalwellness. co m I’m surprised a lot of people with ALS haven’t heard of the ALS/MND protocol.