Country Star Has Heart Attack After 'Vibrant' 2.5-Hour Set

'Dirt Road Anthem' co-writer, singer Colt Ford, 53, is said to be in 'stable but critical' condition in Arizona
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 6, 2024 11:30 AM CDT
Country's Colt Ford Finishes Show, Suffers Heart Attack
In this Dec. 10, 2012, file photo, singer Colt Ford is seen arriving at the American Country Awards in Las Vegas.   (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Invision/AP, file)

Colt Ford's Thursday show in Arizona this week went off without a hitch, but he's now making headlines for what happened afterward. Per TMZ, the 53-year-old country-rap star put on a "vibrant performance," but the outlet reports he then suffered a heart attack after the show at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row in Gilbert. His team says Ford was first taken to the ICU at Mesa's Banner Desert Medical Center, but he's since been moved to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsale, where a rep says he's in "stable but critical" condition, per KPNX.

TMZ notes that Ford, who co-wrote "Dirt Road Anthem" (a song also covered by Jason Aldean), played for two and a half hours, and it has video of his 17th and final song, during which Ford "seemed vibrant and strong, belting out the lyrics while swaying to the music." The outlet adds that "at other points during the tune, Colt raised his arms in the air with the crowd and lifted the mic stand over his head." Sources tell TMZ that after the show was over, Ford and his bandmates exited the stage, and shortly after that, "an officer yelled that someone had passed out behind the bar."

Fans didn't notice anything amiss, either, during the Georgia native's performance. "The only thing I'd say is toward the end he kind of looked tired, but ... he went 110% and he was all over the stage and interacting with the crowd," one concertgoer who was in attendance tells KPNX. NBC News notes that, according to Ford's website, his next performance is set for Saturday, but it no longer offers the option to buy tickets for that show. Now, there's simply a button that says "Notify Me" so fans can sign up for ticket alerts and other relevant info. (More country music stories.)

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