Ronnie McDowell's Onstage Stroke: Country Icon Plans for Surgery
Country Music Icon Ronnie McDowell Suffers Stroke Onstage, But He's Not Letting It Get Him Down!
In a shocking turn of events, 75-year-old country music star Ronnie McDowell has revealed that he suffered a stroke while performing onstage in Pennsylvania just last week. The legendary singer, known for his hit songs "Older Women" and "You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation," was rushed to the hospital after his words became incomprehensible during a show at the Summer Solstice Music Festival on Saturday, June 21.
According to McDowell's son Ronnie Jr., who quickly took him offstage, the singer suspected he had suffered a stroke and was experiencing slurred speech and memory loss. "I knew something wasn't right as I had his vocals in my ear monitor, and I could hear him slurring his words and forgetting the words to his songs," Ronnie Jr. shared on Facebook.
The quick-thinking tour manager also sprang into action, asking McDowell if he felt alright, to which he replied, "No." The singer's son revealed that he immediately took McDowell to a Sprinter for him to cool off and then called an ambulance, who rushed him to the hospital in Reading, Pennsylvania.
But here's the amazing part: just five days after his medical emergency, McDowell broke his silence on Facebook with a video of himself taking a two-mile walk, proving that he's not letting a minor setback like a stroke get him down! The singer reassured fans that he would be undergoing surgery to clear out the plaque in his jugular and confirmed that he will still perform at his scheduled concert in Dry Ridge, Kentucky on Saturday night.
A Long History of Health Issues
This isn't the first time McDowell has faced health issues. As recently as 2023, he was part of Dolly Parton's tribute to Elvis Presley, "I Dreamed About Elvis," alongside the Jordanaires, a vocal quartet that dates back to 1948.
In fact, McDowell's association with Elvis goes way back to 1977 when he wrote and recorded "The King is Gone" as a tribute to his idol after he passed away. He even provided the singing voice for Kurt Russell in the 1979 TV movie Elvis and later for Don Johnson in the 1981 TV movie Elvis and the Beauty Queen.
A Life of Music and Passion
Through the 1980s, McDowell landed two number one country singles - "Older Women" and "You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation" - as well as a string of other successful songs like "All Tied Up," "In a New York Minute," and "Watchin' Girls Go By." He even sang duets with music legends Conway Twitty ("It's Only Make Believe") and Jerry Lee Lewis ("You're Never Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll").
As his son noted, McDowell's love for music is what kept him going through this tough time. "When he got out of the hospital, he wanted to go to his favorite Italian restaurant," Ronnie Jr. said.
It's clear that Ronnie McDowell's passion for music and determination to keep performing are as strong as ever. Despite a minor setback like a stroke, he's refusing to let it get him down and is instead taking it in stride - with a two-mile walk, no less! We can't wait to see what the future holds for this talented country music icon.
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