Country legend ‘was bleeding out from my inside’ during scary medical episode
Country music legend and honkey tonk purveyor Mark Chesnutt is recalling a terrifying medical episode that led to him having emergency heart surgery last year.
"I was bleeding out from my inside," the singer said in an exclusive interview with American Songwriter .
"They basically told me they were gonna get me over this, and I was going to be fine, and they could fix everything wrong with me," Chesnutt explained. "But if they discharged me and I went home and started drinking again, I'd be back in a matter of days, and I might not leave alive."
The singer added that this horrific experience drove him to stop drinking, which he had historically abused.
"I prayed for so long for something to make me realize that I had to stop drinking, and I couldn't do it on my own," Chesnutt told the outlet.
Known for his neo-traditionalist country and honky tonk influences, Chesnutt rose to stardom in the early '90s and has a long list of albums and hit songs in his catalog.
Among those, Chesnutt has had 20 Top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Eight of those 20 songs — "Brother Jukebox," "It Sure Is Monday," "I'll Think of Something," "I Just Wanted You to Know," "Gonna Get a Life," "Almost Goodbye," "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and "It's a Little Too Late," all hit No. 1 on the charts.
Last June , the 60-year-old singer was hospitalized and underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery after a heart health issue. A post on Chesnutt's Instagram from June 18, 2024, indicated that the chart-topping musician would have to cancel shows as a result.
Over a week later, the singer wrote on Instagram that he "got a new heart" and was "recovering comfortably at home with my family."
Chesnutt made his return to the stage soon after. Now, and with a new lease on life, the iconic musician is gearing up for his 2025-2026 Redemption Tour, which starts in May.
"I almost died," Chesnutt told American Songwriter. "I worked through that after the heart surgery, did more therapy, took another three months off, and now I'm back and doing better than average."
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Read the original article on MassLive .
