Ronnie McDowell, a country artist who reached No. 1 on the country charts with “Older Women” and “You’re Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation,” was taken to a Pennsylvania hospital on Saturday night (June 21), according to WKRN.
McDowell was “three or four songs” into his set at Oley, Pa.’s Summer Solstice Music Festival when he began to experience an apparent medical event, according to the outlet.
His tour manager explains that he began slurring his words onstage and started “not making sense.” When his tour manager stopped the show and called him over to the side of the stage to ask if he was alright, McDowell reportedly said he was feeling poorly, and thought he might be having a stroke.
The tour manager confirmed that McDowell was heading to a hospital in Reading, Pa. for evaluation. No further information about McDowell’s condition has yet been made available.
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McDowell first rose to prominence in the late 1970s with a tribute song called “The King is Gone” that he wrote after the death of Elvis Presley. The song became a hit on both country and pop charts.
In the ’80s, he had a string of Top 10 country hits, including “Older Women,” “You’re Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation” and “All Tied Up.”
In 1988, he released a duet with Jerry Lee Lewis called “You’re Never Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll,” along with a hit cover version of “Unchained Melody.”
Read More: 50 Essential 1980s Country Songs
Most recently, McDowell appeared on one of the songs on Dolly Parton‘s Rockstar album: A collaboration called “I Dreamed About Elvis,” also featuring vocals from Presley’s famed backing vocal group the Jordanaires.
Top Country Song from Each Year of the 1980s
With movies like 9 to 5 and Urban Cowboy, the 1980s saw country music make its move into the world of pop culture. As for the music itself, crossovers topped the charts and Randy Travis owned the second half of the decade, making for an eclectic list of the top songs of the 1980s.
Gallery Credit: Wood
