Legendary Rocker, 78, Recovering After Emergency Heart Surgery
Robert Fripp is grateful that he's alive.
Robert, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of King Crimson, gave an update on his life alongside his beloved wife, Toyah Wilcox. In a video posted to their YouTube channel on May 10, the prog rock icon said he'd suffered a heart attack 'but hadn't known it.'
'On Saturday, Apr. 6, I flew to Italy,' said Robert. He was scheduled to perform with 124 members of The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists at Villa Sancelso in Castione della Presolana. But he could tell something was wrong.
'I'd been suffering what I considered to be acid reflux for a couple of weeks before,' he said. 'I had this in 2019, and though, 'oh, just a little acid reflux. I'd deal with this.' But on the Saturday morning I flew, it felt a little bit more.'
Robert arranged a doctor's visit in Italy, but upon his arrival in Bergamo, his companions didn't take any chances. They took him straight to 'the leading cardiac hospital in Italy.'
'I was in A&E thinking, 'Oh, they're going to give me a prescription for acid reflux,'' said Robert, before the doctor gave him the news. ''You're supposed to have 10 of these, but you've got 500 of them,'' said Robert, likely referring to his troponin levels ('That's a measurement in your blood,' said Toyah).
High troponin levels can indicate a heart attack, according to MedlinePlus. Toyah said her husband underwent five hours of surgery, intensive care, and then a second operation.'My husband has never had anything wrong with them,' said Tonyah. 'He's only had one stay in hospital when he was about 22. He's not experienced [a] hospital as perhaps many times as women have, especially at my age.'
'I'm so proud of you and so grateful to your team who kept us all informed,' she added, wiping away tears. After the surgeries, Robert still managed to make the gig and play with all of his "friends."
The rock legend is now on medication for life, and his wife says he's 'getting used to the balance."
A very "fortunate" Robert then advised everyone watching: 'If you think you have heartburn or acid reflux, really look into it. It might be something more.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Emmerdale star breaks silence on return after 6 years and fans 'can't believe it'
An Emmerdale character has broken their silence as they made a shock return to the ITV soap after six years, and fans are ecstatic. Ryan Hawley who plays the role of Robert Sugden, made an unexpected arrival in the Yorkshire Dales-set village last night (May 28). Viewers 'couldn't believe' he was back on their TV screens as he gatecrashed the wedding of his former love interest,t Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) and his new partner, John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth). Emmerdale fans might remember that Robert was sentenced to life in prison for playing a part in the death of Lee Posner. The Rob to Danny's Ron 🎬#Emmerdale — Emmerdale (@emmerdale) May 28, 2025 The character also cut ties with ex Aaron and filed for divorce. But is Robert going to be sticking around? Ryan has now broken his silence on his character's return and has issued a major update for fans. Speaking to The Mirror, he revealed: 'The secret is out today! My character is returning permanently and not just for Aaron and John's wedding. I am back for good, and I am so excited to be playing Robert again.' Explaining how he landed his comeback, Ryan added: 'Recently, while I was living in Brazil with my family, where we had been for the past year, Danny texted to see how I would feel. We've always kept in touch, and after a lot of thought, I told him, 'Yeah, I am up for it. ' I then got a call swiftly from the producers, and it went from there.' The actor has also moved back to Britain to join his fellow Emmerdale cast permanently. He continued: 'The timing felt right for us to not only move back to Britain, but also for me to come back to Emmerdale. Enough time has passed, and with this big wedding storyline, it is the right time for Robert to cause chaos and huge drama!' ITV viewers have taken to X, reacting to the exciting news, as someone wrote: 'Its been a long six years but this is what #robron fans have been waiting for... ryan hawley returning to #emmerdale as robert sugden. we all hope that he returns to the show full time but so happy that he has come back. let hope our favourite couple get a happy ending.' Another added: 'Can't believe I'm willingly tuning into #Emmerdale again. The power of Robert Sugden is still unmatched.' This person posted: 'I can't believe it Robert sugden is back he's back it's been a long time coming he's my favourite character in the show so glad to see him back in #emmerdale and we have Aaron and Robert reunited #robron.' Recommended reading: Casualty and Doctors star to join Emmerdale as part of dog attack storyline Emmerdale fans 'so glad' character has returned in dramatic episode after 19 years Emmerdale star's real life romance with iconic EastEnders soap actress An excited viewer commented: 'HE WASNT IN THE DREAM!?!? He's gonna be back for real OM*G ROBERT JACOB SUGDEN I LOVE YOU #emmerdale.' Meanwhile, this returning Emmerdale viewer said: 'Waking up at 7am to watch emmerdale for the first time in 6 years as Robert Sug Can't believe I'm willingly tuning into #Emmerdale again. The power of Robert Sugden is still unmatchedden has came home to us.' Emmerdale airs on ITV1 and ITVX weeknights from 7.30pm.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
The 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 34 Cast Is Growing — Here's Who's on Board
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Calling all Dancing With the Stars fans! Your favorite show is back for another twirl around the ballroom. It's been five months since Dancing With the Stars season 33 aired on ABC and Disney+, and boy was that a memorable season! With incredible celebrity talent bringing their A-game each week, fans voted to make sure The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei took home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy with his partner Jenna Johnson. And let's not forget — folks got to see Olympic athletes, actors and more stars strut their stuff throughout the season, too! But since it's been a while since a new Dancing With the Stars episode aired, fans want to know if the show will be back for season 34 in 2025. Well, we received the best news — and you're going to want to know about it. Four months after Dancing With the Stars ended season 33, the show excited fans by revealing on Instagram it got renewed for season 34. "Cue the celebration dance 💃🕺," read the caption on April 22. "Another season of #DWTS is coming to ABC and Disney+! 🎉 Next day on Hulu." The DWTS pros were so excited by the prospect, and they shared their thoughts in the comments. "YAYAYYAYAYA!!!!! Let's go!!!!!" Rylee Arnold excitedly wrote. "So excited for season 34!" season 28 winner Alan Bersten exclaimed. "Oh yes yes yes! Let's go!" Brandon Armstrong added. Make sure you hit "save" at the top of this article to stay up-to-date on the latest news about Dancing With the Stars season 34. While ABC won't share the entire Dancing With the Stars cast until we're closer to the premiere date, the show is slowly revealing which celebrities are competing in season 34. Announcing the news at Disney Entertainment Television's Get Real Event on April 22, viewers learned Australian conservationist and zookeeper Robert Irwin will compete on DWTS season 34. As for why he's doing it, he explained it came from watching his sister Bindi Irwin win season 21 alongside her partner Derek Hough back in 2015. "I cannot tell you what a privilege, what an honor it is to be joining this season," Robert shared at the event, per People. "I said, 'One day, that's gonna be me.' And now, that dream is a reality and I am over the moon. Let's do this!" When Robert confirmed the big news on Instagram, the Dancing With the Stars fandom immediately went nuts over the reveal. "This dude is UNSTOPPABLE [right now]," one person wrote. "You have no idea how excited I am for this. You're gonna kill it! I'll be campaigning for votes for you all season! ❤️," another exclaimed. "This will be epic👏👏🙌🙌," a different follower added. And Robert isn't the only one taking to the dance floor this season. Fans learned on Good Morning America that social media personality Alix Earle is also vying for the Mirrorball Trophy. As for how she thinks she'll fare on the series, she told Michael Strahan and Lara Spencer she may have to pull out some moves from her childhood to win it all. "I danced when I was little until my sophomore year of high school," she told the hosts in a clip posted on TikTok. "I would like to say I have some rhythm, but I've never done ballroom dancing or dancing with a partner before. So, that's gonna be a whole new venture for me." Consider us totally surprised! While ABC hasn't explicitly confirmed this, it's likely Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro will be back to co-host Dancing With the Stars season 34. Both Julianne and Alfonso have their own experiences competing on the show. Julianne started her DWTS journey as a professional dancer in season 4, then exited the show after season 8. She later returned as a judge for seasons 19 through 21, before leaving DWTS once again. She began her new hosting role on the show in 2023 for season 32. As for Alfonso's time on DWTS, he was the winner of season 19 with partner Witney Carson. He later made his co-hosting debut in season 31 in 2022, and has been in the role ever since. Now, in terms of who will judge Dancing With the Stars season 34, fans can likely expect to see Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough at the judges' panel. Carrie Ann and Bruno have been judging the show since its inaugural season, while Derek was a pro on and off from season 5 through season 23. He has won the show six times and later became a judge on DWTS starting in season 29 in 2020. When it's time for viewers to watch Dancing With the Stars season 34, they can catch the competition in real-time on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. What's more, folks can also watch the show as it airs live on Disney+. If you'd rather watch Dancing With the Stars season 34 on Disney+, the streamer offers plans that begin at $9.99 per month. Once you create a profile, you can watch the show on Disney+'s website or on the Disney+ app. Fans can also watch Dancing With the Stars season 34 the day after it premieres on Hulu. Just like Disney+, viewers can subscribe to the streaming site with plans beginning at $9.99 per month. After you've made an account, click on the show's title page on the Hulu website or on the Hulu app. You Might Also Like 67 Best Gifts for Women That'll Make Her Smile The Best Pillows for Every Type of Sleeper
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Robin Williams' ‘Popeye' movie ‘made while the set was snowed in cocaine'
Robin Williams' 'Popeye' film was made while the set was snowed in cocaine. The troubled comic, who took his life in August 2014 aged 63 after well-documented battles with drugs, alcohol and depression, starred as the spinach-gobbling sailor in the 1980 Robert Altman movie – and former movie boss Barry Diller has now spoken about the extent of substance abuse that went on behind the scenes. The 82-year-old media mogul, who served as CEO of Paramount Pictures from 1974 to 1984, made the comments during an on-stage conversation with journalist Anderson Cooper at the 92nd Street Y in New York while promoting his new autobiography 'Who Knew', saying there was so much cocaine on the set of 'Popeye' 'you couldn't escape it'. Barry added during the production of the movie, which also starred Shelley Duvall and was shot in Malta, the drug was so prevalent it was being transported alongside reels of film. He said: 'Film cans would be sent back to LA daily for processing the film. 'And we found out the film cans were actually being used to ship cocaine back and forth to the set. Everyone was stoned.' Diller added the influence of the drug may be apparent in the final cut of the film, which he described as playing like a vinyl record at an unnaturally fast speed. 'Think of… record speeds,' he said. 'If 33rpm is the standard speed for playing an LP on a record player, this is a movie that runs at 78 rpm.' The film's orchestrator, Van Dyke Parks, 81, previously recounted similar experiences during the production. In an interview with The Telegraph, he said: 'I was the hero of the regiment for opening up a walkie-talkie to change the battery and finding a bag of cocaine. 'I don't remember how much there was or to whom I gave it. But I remember that I recoiled, because I knew that it would be a component in the way people behaved, and the difficulties of the production right up to the top.' Van Dyke also recalled famed film producer Robert Evans, who was behind 'The Godfather' and 'Chinatown', narrowly avoided arrest when his cocaine-filled luggage went missing during the shoot. Robert was later arrested on unrelated cocaine trafficking charges while 'Popeye' was in post-production. Even though the charge was eventually cleared, Robert told an interviewer in 1994: 'Bob 'Cocaine' Evans is how I'll be known to my grave.' Robin Williams was very open about his struggles with cocaine addiction during the time 'Popeye' was shot.
