Country singer and rapper Colt Ford, known for hits like "Dirt Road Anthem" and "Drivin' Around Song," remains hospitalized after suffering a heart attack following a performance in Gilbert, Arizona, on April 4.
"Ford remains in the ICU with his condition slowly but steadily improving," the multi-platinum artist's representative said to The Epoch Times via email on Tuesday.
"At this time, his family is requesting privacy and appreciates fans' continued thoughts and prayers," the representative added.
Mr. Ford, 53, was on tour at the time of the medical emergency, which occurred after he helmed the stage for a performance at gastropub and music venue Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row.
The singer-songwriter was promptly taken to the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
Mr. Ford was later transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, located about 20 miles away, where he remained in "stable but critical" condition.
The artist's website currently indicates he has upcoming shows scheduled from April until the end of August. However, it remains unclear when he will be able to return to the stage.
Mr. Ford has been candid about his previous health scares. In 2021, he took to Instagram to reveal his diagnosis of eye cancer.
"Ain't really said nothing about it. I gotta have, uh, some surgery this morning on my eye. There's this spot that came up in my eye that is, uh, cancer," he shared in a video posted to the platform on April 27.
"So they said they're gonna get it out of there, and it should be alright," he continued. "God didn't bring me this far to let me go now."
In a subsequent Instagram post shared the day after undergoing surgery, Mr. Ford expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support.
"After battling eye cancer, Mr. Ford was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in 2022. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the chronic autoimmune condition weakens the skeletal muscles, such as those found in the face, eyes, neck, arms, and legs, affecting the ability to chew, talk, swallow, make facial expressions, and even walk, among other movements.
"So it's affecting my eye, for me right now, where I can't open my right eye all the way," he shared with Chad Armes TV later that year, noting the discomfort it brings mentally.
"During the last couple years of the pandemic, I've had, I've had some health issues. I haven't said anything to anybody because everybody's dealing with stuff, and I don't feel like I'm any more important than anybody else," he said.
"I've tried to kinda not say anything, but it's getting to the point now where I feel like I need to let people know what's going on," he added. "I appreciate every prayer, thought, the fans, I don't, I don't wanna quit playing music. So I'm trying to figure out how to deal with it and treat it."
He concluded: "There's no cure for it at the moment, but ... I still got some love, some hope, and some faith and, uh, and I'm gonna keep rockin'."
