Last week, when country music star Ronnie McDowell went onstage to perform at Pennsylvania's Summer Solstice Festival, both he and his son, Ronnie McDowell Jr., were surprised when he had to stop his set about three songs in due to health problems.
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McDowell is a dynamic performer, well known for his vocal and visual resemblance to Elvis Presley, as well as his own success on the Billboard charts with songs like "Older Women" and "You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation" reaching No. 1. Aside from those hits, McDowell has had 11 other songs reach the top ten, and has continued to perform much into his later career.
The 75-year-old has been performing quite a bit during this past year, including making appearances at venues like the Ellis Theatre in Philadelphia and the Blue Gate Music Hall in Indiana. He also has a lineup of shows planned for the rest of the year.
This explains why, when Ronnie McDowell Jr. noticed his father slurring the words to some of the songs during his set, he thought that there might be something wrong. When asked, McDowell even hinted to his son that he thought he might be having a stroke.
McDowell was rushed to a hospital in Reading, Pennsylvania, for further evaluation shortly after struggling mid-set, and proceeded to get an MRI with his sons, Tyler and Ronnie, keeping him company.
Ronnie McDowell's Son Gives Hopeful Update on His Father
McDowell's oldest son, Tyler, took to social media to express his concern and update fans on the status of his father's health. "Hello Friends..."
said Tyler. "My Dad is doing much better today. He went to the doctor yesterday and they are retrieving all of his records from the Reading Hospital. They will be setting up his surgery shortly."McDowell was discharged from the hospital shortly afterwards on Monday, and Ronnie Jr. expressed gratitude to the staff at Reading Hospital.
Doctors expressed that McDowell would be okay to continue performing within the next few days, and he reportedly planned to make shows in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, The Local in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and Alley Taps in Nashville this week.
With upcoming shows in Memphis, Tennessee, and Georgia this year, let's hope that McDowell is able to have a speedy recovery and continue to take the stage, just as he has for the past 5 decades.
Photo: Image via YouTube
