What Happened To Colt Ford? The Singer's Health Issues, Explained

Country singer Colt Ford was on the Arizona leg of his 2024 tour when he suffered a heart attack on April 8 following a show at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row. Ford was taken to the Desert Medical Center in Mesa where he remained in stable but critical condition. A few days later, the "Times We Had" singer's camp told People, "Ford remains in the ICU, with his condition steadily improving in a positive direction. At this time, his family is requesting privacy and appreciates your continued thoughts and prayers."

Following his heart attack, Ford canceled the rest of his tour dates so that he could focus on his health as he joined the ranks of celebs with serious medical issues. On April 24, he gave fans an update from his hospital bed and stated on X, formerly Twitter, "I just want to tell you guys thank y'all for all the prayers, the love, the comments, the messages. I got a long way to go but I promise you this old country boy will be back. It probably won't be this year. I hate that I got to miss all these shows, but I'm coming back." He urged fans to take care of their health and assured them that they'll see him on stage again. Although Ford's condition was obviously very serious, he later revealed that things were a lot more dire than they looked.

While Colt Ford slowly but steadily recovered from his heart attack, he shared in an April 2024 interview on the "Big D & Bubba" show that he died on the way to the hospital. But unlike other country stars who passed at a young age, Ford made a surprising recovery. "I didn't even remember coming out here to do a show in Phoenix, and apparently we played this great, sold-out show and it was incredible. I walked back to the bus and texted my fiancée, 'Hi baby,' and fell over dead," he shared. "I died two times. Luckily, my band came out to check on me," he added. The doctors at the hospital didn't have that much faith that Ford would survive and gave him a 0.1% chance. However, after three stents put in his heart and a drain in his gallbladder, he was on the mend.

In May 2024, Ford was well enough to enjoy some fresh air. Sitting in a wheelchair, he stated in a Facebook reel, "I got my ass out of bed with the help of some wonderful nurses. I got in a wheelchair [and] they brought me outside so I can feel the sun on my face for the first time in a long time." The country singer still had a long road to recovery ahead of him, and unfortunately, this wasn't the first time Colt Ford had a health scare.

Like Willie Nelson's health struggles, Colt Ford has had some issues over the years. In March 2021, Ford's friend saved the singer's eye after he noticed a spot that got bigger within a couple of weeks. After seeing a number of specialists, Ford was diagnosed with eye cancer. He revealed the news on social media and shared with his fans that he was undergoing surgery and had to take chemo drops in his eyes. "I thought to myself ... all the dumb s*** I have done, I could have killed myself multiple times and this is what is going to take me out? 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," he mused to People.

Ford was later diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, Myasthenia Gravis. "The last year quite honestly got really hard for me. It's a disease and there's no cure for this," he told Taste of Country in May 2023. He explained that the disease affects the muscles and nerves in the face and throat, with his eyes being affected the most. "I had no control over my right eye. 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," he revealed. Still, Ford remained positive and stated, "I feel like I'm on the other side. I've gotten out of that hole now, and I ain't going back down in it."