Country singer Ray Stevens suffers heart attack in Nashville
The country singer, 86, underwent surgery after suffering a heart attack on Friday, July 4.
'Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Stevens is in recovery after undergoing minimally invasive heart surgery yesterday morning,' a statement posted to Stevens' Instagram account on Tuesday read. 'Last Friday evening, Ray complained of chest pain and was admitted to a Nashville hospital.'
9 Ray Stevens.
raystevensmusic/Instagram
'After a heart catheterization procedure, it was determined he'd suffered a mild heart attack,' the statement continued, adding that his 'initial surgery was successful.'
However, Stevens' performances at his CabaRay Showroom 'are understandably cancelled' through July 2025 'as he recovers.'
Fans took to the comments section to share their support for the Grammy winner.
'Prayers for you from a grateful fan in Georgia. Get well soon!' one fan wrote.
A second follower chimed in, 'Please, Get Well Soon.'
9 Ray Stevens performs on stage.
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9 Ray Stevens performs onstage for The Final Nashville Show – A Tribute To Ronnie Milsap.
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Rounding out the sweet wishes, another social media user gushed, 'Sending much love and prayers for a full recovery.'
On Wednesday, a second statement was shared on Stevens' Instagram account, giving his fans an update on his condition.
'Ray is out of ICU and beginning to walk the halls as therapy with a nurse's assistance as he is working towards recovering from this surgery,' the update began. 'Ray is very grateful for all of the cards and get well messages. Everything is Still Beautiful!!!!'
9 Rudy Gatlin, Pam Tillis, Ray Stevens, Deborah Allen and Steve Gatlin.
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In January 2024, Stevens announced a major change in his music career.
The artist revealed he would 'stop performing regularly' at his Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom in Nashville by the end of the year.
'I'll be going to work every day in my recording studio and maybe I'll do a few, a very few, shows in some old familiar places,' Stevens shared in a statement at the time. 'I'm definitely slowing down, but I haven't come to a complete stop. Not yet, anyway.'
9 Inductee Ray Stevens performs during the 2022 Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum Concert.
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However, after his December 2024 show, the country superstar decided to continue.
On May 17, Stevens returned to the CabaRay Showroom to promote his album 'Say Whut?' which he released in March. His live performances were set to continue through December 2025.
Stevens has been a staple in the music industry for multiple decades. He first signed to Capitol Records' Prep Records at just 18 years old in 1957.
9 Rick Hall, Felton Jarvis(producer), Tommy Roe, Ray Stevens, David Briggs, Norbert Putnam and Jerry Carrigan.
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In the 1960s, Stevens relocated to Nashville and began writing songs for Dolly Parton. He also worked with the late Waylon Jennings and Elvis Presley. Stevens won his first Grammy in 1971.
He took home the award for Best Contemporary Male Vocalist for his song 'Everything Is Beautiful.'
In 1976, he won Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for 'Misty.'
9 Ray Stevens at BBC Television Centre in London, England in June 1974.
Redferns
Fans will also remember Stevens' comedic tracks, 'Gitarzan' and 'The Streak.' Throughout his career, Stevens has sold more than 40 million albums.
He is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and the Christian Music Hall of Fame.
Stevens was married to his wife, Penny Jackson Ragsdale, for over 60 years until her death in 2021. The couple shared daughters Suzi and Timi.
9 Ray Stevens backstage at the 17th Grammy Awards.
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9 Ray Stevens performs live in 1977.
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In 2019, Stevens got candid on opening the CabaRay Showroom.
'I love to perform,' he gushed to Music Row. 'When you are out there in front of an audience regularly, you learn from them.
'I thrive on feedback and can tell by audience reactions what works and what really works. It's all part of the joy of performing, so to answer your question, the show is always evolving.'
Stevens noted that his favorite part of CabaRay is the location.
'It's so great to sleep in my own bed every night and not have to fly and mess with all that entails, these days,' he admitted. 'I'm 10 minutes from my house when I leave the stage at the CabaRay and that's really nice!'
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