Colt Ford Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Crackle
Colt Ford was rushed to the hospital when he suffered a heart attack following a concert in Gilbert, Arizona.
Ford, 53, had finished his performance at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Gilbert, Arizona on Thursday, April 4, when he was taken to a hospital following a medical emergency. According to local NBC affiliate 12 News, the singer-songwriter was taken to Banner Desert Medical Center’s ICU and transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.
A spokesperson for Ford told 12 News that his condition was “stable but critical.” Eyewitnesses told TMZ that Ford looked fine at the time of his two-and-a-half-hour performance before the heart attack occurred.
“The only thing I’d say is toward the end he kind of looked tired,” Kelli Williams, a fan who attended the concert, told 12 News at the time. “But, I mean, he went 110% and he was all over the stage and interacting with the crowd.”
She added, “When we’re walking to the car, you could just hear all the sirens. And then when we heard about it, it was like, ‘Oh man, I hope he’s OK.’”
Colt Ford Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
The “Dirt Road Anthem” cowriter has had his share of health issues and scares over the years, revealing in 2021 he had undergone surgery for eye cancer. “The doctor told me I was a week to 10 days from having to go on full chemo,” he told People in May 2021.
“I had so many friends asking, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’” Ford continued. At the time, he was able to treat his illness with chemotherapy eye drops throughout his tour. “But I just thought everyone was dealing with so much stuff and stress. I didn’t want to put that burden on anyone else. But it did feel good to have so many people reach out to me. It reminded me that it’s not always about the music. They actually care about me — the person.”
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Though he inevitably beat the cancer, Ford was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease known as Myasthenia Gravis in 2023.
“Last year I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis,” Ford told Taste of Country in May 2023, the same year he released his latest album, Must Be the Country. “It’s been tough. The last year quite honestly got really hard for me. It’s a disease and there’s no cure for this.”
Ford has collaborated with artists such as Jason Aldean, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith, Lady A and Chase Rice.