Country music star suffers heart attack shortly after a performance in Arizona, in critical condition

Country music singer and rapper Colt Ford was reportedly taken to the hospital after a performance in Arizona on Thursday after suffering a heart attack, according to Deadline. The country star co-wrote the hit song, “Dirt Road Anthem.”

Ford suffered a heart attack shortly after performing at Dierks Bently’s Whiskey Row. He is reportedly in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. But he is considered to be stable, per the report.

Ford is a multiplatinum singer-songwriter and has several No. 1 hits. “Dirt Road Anthem” was recorded with Brantley Gilbert and subsequently covered by Jason Aldean for his 2010 album, “My Kinda Party.” Aldean’s cover was nominated for a Grammy.

The New York Post reported that Ford has also worked with other stars, including Jake Owen, Walker Hayes, Chase Rice, Toby Keith, Lady A, and Willie Nelson.

It appears this is not the first time Ford has suffered from health issues. In 2022, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, which is a chronic muscular autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness. Ford said the illness affected his eye more than it did his throat or face.

“It hadn’t really affected my throat, but it really affected my eye. I had no control over my right eye,” Colt shared with Taste of Country in 2023.

“It really messes with your vision. I could see perfectly out of either eye, but then I would look together and I’d see three of you and you would be melting together like a lava lamp.”

Just a year before that, Ford was diagnosed with eye cancer but avoided having to undergo chemotherapy because it was detected early on, according to People Magazine.

“The doctor told me I was a week to 10 days from having to go on full chemo.”

He underwent surgery following the diagnosis and performed just a few days later. Ford was reportedly a professional golfer before he ultimately turned to country music and hip-hop.

Though Ford was set to perform at two other venues — in Nevada and Arizona — the shows have been canceled.

Ford has previously said: “I know darn well that God never puts anything on you that you can’t handle, but the Lord might have a lot more confidence in me than I thought.”