Ray Stevens Making Major Career Change After Heart Attack

Ray Stevens plans to sell his W\west Nashville venue, the CabaRay Showroom, as he continues to recover from a heart attack he suffered last month.

“At 86 and with my recent health problems, it’s probably time to slow down, and selling CabaRay is the first step,” the singer says in a press release.

“I’d like to see someone buy it and have as much fun here as I’ve had,” he continues in another portion of his statement.

Is Ray Stevens Retiring?

Stevens opened the CabaRay Showroom in 2018, and in the years since, it’s been almost the only venue where he has performed live.

As he scales back his career commitments to focus on his health, it seems like a definite possibility that Stevens’ performing career — at least, for the most part — will end when CabaRay closes its doors.

The singer’s most recent statement doesn’t offer any details about his longterm plans for his live show.

But he did say that he’s not done releasing music.

“I still have a lot I want to do in the recording studio,” Stevens states, “so I’ll focus all of my energy in that direction along with making music videos to go along with the music from time to time.”

Stevens has also made motions toward winding down his live performance career in the past.

In 2024, he performed what he said would be his final run of shows.

But in 2025, he came out of retirement to book new dates in support of his new comedy album, Ray Stevens…Say Whut?

What About the Shows He Canceled After His Heart Attack?

After suffering a heart attack on July 4, Stevens canceled all scheduled performances through July. All of those concerts were planned to take place at CabaRay.

Now, the singer says he still plans to finish out that round of dates.

“I still plan on doing shows once I’m fully recovered,” he confirms.

Another Heart Surgery, and a Health Update

Stevens was originally admitted to a Nashville hospital in early July because he was suffering chest pain.

A heart catheterization procedure determined that he was suffering a “mild heart attack,” according to a statement from his team at the time.

On July 7, he underwent surgery to address the conditions that led to his heart attack.

According to his latest update, the singer has since undergone a second procedure, where doctors placed two stents to clear other heart blockages. He recovered at a Nashville rehab facility for a few days, and has since been continuing to heal at home.

Read More: Country Stars Who Have Suffered Heart Attacks

Stevens, 86, is known both for his country hits and for novelty recordings, including “The Streak.” His song “Everything Is Beautiful” won him a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Male Vocalist in 1971, and he won another Grammy for “Misty” in 1976.

He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Christian Music Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Stevens has been going through major life changes over the past several years. His wife of more than 60 years, Penny, died on Jan. 31, 2021, and Stevens subsequently sold the massive Nashville estate they had shared.