Ronnie McDowell and his family say that the singer is recovering well after a surgery last Tuesday (July 22) that had some scary complications.
“Today was quite the chapter,” his son Tyler Dean McDowell wrote on Facebook.
“Tears, shaking, prayers — some shared with family, others alone,” he continued. “A couple of times, I walked outside, because everything unfolding made me believe he was gone.”
- McDowell suffered a stroke onstage on June 21.
- He was “three or four songs” into his set at a Pennsylvania musical festival when he started slurring words and “not making sense,” according to his son Ronnie McDowell, Jr.
- Doctors determined he had a 70 percent blockage in his carotid artery, according to a newer update from McDowell, Jr.
- This surgery was intended to address that blockage.
Read More: Ronnie McDowell Suffered Stroke Onstage, Will Need Surgery
Tyler Dean and McDowell, Jr. kept fans posted with social media updates every step of the way when McDowell checked in for surgery last week.
They shared that the procedure went well, but that there were some scary moments in the aftermath.
A Successful Surgery With Some Scary Moments
While he didn’t share all the specifics, Tyler Dean said McDowell’s complication was “likely related to the blood thinners,” and that it was “handled quickly.”
“I do believe … Dad is okay,” he said. “It wasn’t long before he was surrounded by four of his kids … and four grandkids. He cracked a joke or two, and we knew he was still with us.”
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“Needless to say, yesterday was one of the most emotionally challenged days of my life,” McDowell, Jr. wrote on Wednesday (July 23). “Seeing the man that means the world to me having to go through something like that was just terrifying.”
Read More: 50 Essential 1980s Country Songs
The same day, McDowell, Jr.’s wife Dana said that her husband had been a “pillar of strength” throughout his father’s medical ordeal.
She also said that McDowell’s complication, which surgeons “promptly addressed,” was one of the hardest moments on his sons.
“My husband was struggling, but our family had a group call with him, and reassured him that God was in control and that he’s got this!!!” she wrote.
Ronnie McDowell Shares a Personal Health Update
The singer was upbeat in a video message he shared with fans this Monday (July 28).
“Well, as you can see, I’m still walking,” he said, flashing a grin as he filmed himself on what looks like an evening stroll.
“I’ve still got swelling and it looks like a shark bit me,” he continued, turning his head to show the camera the healing incision site on his neck.
“But thank everybody for all the cards, thoughts and prayers.”
McDowell also said he’s been cleared to perform at his upcoming shows this weekend, but cracked a joke: “The doctors did say, ‘Do not let the girls get your heart rate up this weekend,'” he said.
Who Is Ronnie McDowell?
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.”
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
