Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Founding Member Opens Up About Life-Changing Health Scare
on Aug 01, 2024
John McEuen, a founding member of the iconic Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, recently discussed a serious health scare that changed his perspective on life.
After nearly a decade of hard work, McEuen was ready to release a long-awaited album, and his touring schedule had been thriving.
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But then, in April, everything took a dramatic turn when John McEuen experienced a serious health scare. While driving with his wife, Marilyn, McEuen suddenly lost consciousness.
“I was on a frontage road driving my wife somewhere, and I passed out,” McEuen told PEOPLE. “I hit the car in front of me and the next thing I remember is my wife standing on the road on the driver’s side telling me to wake up. I just had no concept of it happening. Fortunately, it wasn’t on the freeway. It could have been a lot different if I had passed out on the freeway.”
After the incident, medical evaluations revealed alarming news.
Doctors found that McEuen’s heart arteries were severely blocked, with one artery at 98% obstruction and another at 97%. This explained the blackout episode, which his doctors described as a critical warning sign.
The situation escalated quickly, leading to two heart attacks that forced McEuen to undergo triple bypass surgery on April 9. His recovery was challenging, requiring over two weeks in the intensive care unit at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in Nashville.
Reflecting on this time, he recalled lying in bed post-surgery, contemplating the gravity of his condition.
“There I was laying in the bed, my chest ripped open and sewn back up thinking, ‘I hope this works,'” McEuen, 78, remembered. “The surgeon was very confident, telling me everything was going to be okay. I decided I was going to believe him.”
During his time in the ICU, McEuen’s spoken word album, The Newsman: A Man of Record, was released.
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Remarkably, just a month after his surgery, McEuen was already walking over a mile daily. He received a “clean bill of health” from his doctors. Now, McEuen is eager to kick off his much-anticipated headlining tour, which begins on August 3 in Canada.
“This has changed my life,” McEuen shared. “I feel so much more awake now. I mean, I never did any drugs. I was a clean guy. That is probably what made my recovery as quick as it was. I’m just so thankful that everything is okay.”
We’re happy to hear that John McEuen is on the mend and wish him continued good health!
