16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Country singer Ronnie McDowell's health scare revealed after slurring his words onstage
Ronnie McDowell suffered a mini-stroke during his concert in Pennsylvania over the weekend, his son Ronnie McDowell Jr. confirmed to The Post.
Following the news that the 75-year-old country music star was hospitalized after slurring his words mid-concert, Ronnie Jr. clarified the details about his dad's health scare.
'During a recent performance in Pennsylvania, I noticed that something was wrong while my dad, Ronnie McDowell, was on stage,' Ronnie Jr., who is also his dad's tour manager and drummer, said in his statement to The Post.
7 Ronnie McDowell and his son Ronnie McDowell Jr.
Ronnie McDowell Jr./Facebook
'After a few minutes, I stopped the show and helped him off stage to check on how he was feeling,' Ronnie Jr. continued. 'We then called 911.'
'Thankfully, he experienced a mini-stroke but is doing better now and is being released from the hospital today,' the statement added.
7 Ronnie McDowell performs at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville.
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Ronnie Jr. went on to say that he's 'focused on making the best decisions' for his famous father's 'ongoing care and recovery.'
'So far, the outlook is positive,' said Ronnie Jr., 'and we are incredibly grateful that the situation was as mild as it was.'
'We want to sincerely thank all his fans around the world for their love, support, and well wishes during this time. It truly means everything to our family,' the statement concluded.
7 Ronnie McDowell.
Ronnie McDowell/Facebook
During his performance at the Summer Solstice Music Festival in Oley, Pa. on Saturday, Ronnie began to slur his words while he was three or four songs into his set, according to Nashville-based radio station WKRN.
Ronnie started 'not making sense,' his tour manager told the station, before the musician got pulled off the stage and mentioned that he thought he might be having a stroke.
7 Ronnie McDowell in 1977.
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The 'Smokey Places' singer was taken to a hospital in Reading, Pa. where he underwent testing.
After the concert, one of Ronnie's other sons, Tyler Dean McDowell, released a statement on Facebook addressing his dad's health scare.
7 Moe Bandy, Ronnie McDowell, and Gene Watson attend the 2nd Annual Legendary Lunch presented by Webster Public Relations and CMA in Feb. 2016.
Rick Diamond
'Hey everyone — I know you're all concerned. I promise — no one is more worried than I am,' Tyler wrote. 'Please understand, this is an incredibly stressful time, and right now, my focus is on my Dad. If there's anything that needs to be shared, I promise — we will.'
7 Ronnie McDowell performing at a show in April 2025.
Ronnie McDowell/Facebook
Tyler shared a second post with a more positive update about Ronnie.
'Just wanted to let everyone know — I made it to Pennsylvania. Ronnie Dean & I are in the room with Dad,' Tyler penned. 'He's talking to us, and we're waiting to do the MRI. As soon as I know more, so will y'all. Love Forever.'
