Country music star Ronnie McDowell is recovering after suffering a mini-stroke while performing onstage in Pennsylvania, according to an update from his son.
The incident occurred last week when McDowell was about three or four songs into his set at the Summer Solstice Festival in Oley, Pennsylvania.
Ronnie McDowell Jr. said in a Facebook post that he noticed something was wrong when he heard his dad slurring his words and forgetting lyrics to songs he has performed for many years. When the son asked his father if he was OK, the elder McDowell replied that he wasn’t and said he thought he might be having a stroke.
McDowell was taken to a hospital in Reading, Pennsylvania, for evaluation. Doctors there determined he had suffered a mini-stroke and told him he will need to undergo surgery in the coming weeks. However, they said McDowell can resume performing and working out in the next few days, news that made the singer happy, according to his son.
McDowell Jr. expressed gratitude for the “incredibly nice and helpful” medical team that treated his father. He also thanked fans, friends and family for their support, saying, “You all have been absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait to see all of you and thank you in person.”
The 78-year-old McDowell rose to fame in the late 1970s with his tribute song “The King Is Gone,” written after Elvis Presley’s death. He had a string of Top 10 country hits in the 1980s, including “Older Women,” “You’re Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation” and “All Tied Up.”
Most recently, he collaborated with Dolly Parton on the song “I Dreamed About Elvis” from her album Rockstar.
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