Colt Ford is feeling the sun on his face for the first time since a heart attack left him clinically dead twice. The country-rapper still has a long road ahead of him after collapsing following an April 4 show at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Gilbert, Arizona. Go ahead and count him out, though. The “Dirt Road Anthem” singer would love it.
Colt Ford Addresses Fans From Hospital
On Tuesday (May 7), Ford’s official Instagram account shared a video of the wheelchair-bound country star. Clad in a hospital gown, the 53-year-old Georgia native assures fans he is “fighting so hard every day to get back.”
Videos by American Songwriter
[RELATED: Colt Ford Heart Attack: A Timeline of the Country-Rapper’s Health Issues]
“I got my a** out of bed and, with the help of some wonderful nurses, got in a wheelchair,” Ford says. “They brought me outside so I could feel a little sun on my face. First time in a long time. It feels good.”
At that point, the rebellious spirit that makes the “Country As Truck” singer so beloved begins to creep in. “I still got a long way to go. But if you think I ain’t coming back… bet against me,” Ford says. “See what happens.”
All Future Tour Dates Canceled or Rescheduled
Ford’s team has announced the artist will cancel or postpone all shows through Aug. 30. Refunds are available at the point of purchase and all existing tickets will be honored for new shows, according to Taste of Country.
Fans learned exactly how serious Ford’s condition had been when the hitmaker phoned in to the Big D and Bubba Show April 23. “Apparently we played this great sold-out show,” said Ford, who doesn’t remember performing. “I walked out to the bus, texted my fiancée, ‘Hi baby,’ and fell over dead.”
The “Back” singer was rushed to the intensive care unit at the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona. He was later transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. That’s where he woke up nearly a week later, on April 10.
“If it was going to happen, God could not have had me in a better place,” Ford said. “The big doctor out here said, ‘I wouldn’t give you 1%, I’d give you 0.1% that you’d survive.’”
Ford has proven he doesn’t care about odds, however. “The Lord has more for me to do,” he said. “I’ve got more music to make and hopefully more differences to make in some people’s lives.”
Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images