Country music legend Ronnie McDowell rushed to hospital after slurring words mid-concert: ‘Incredibly stressful time'
The 75-year-old country singer was rushed to the hospital after slurring his words while performing at the Summer Solstice Music Festival in Oley, Penn. on Saturday, according to Nashville-based radio station WKRN.
McDowell's tour manager told the station that the star was three or four songs into his set before he started 'not making sense.'
7 Ronnie McDowell performs at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville in 2010.
FilmMagic
The tour manager then pulled McDowell off the stage and asked him if he felt okay, to which McDowell replied, 'No.'
McDowell mentioned that he thought he might be having a stroke, his tour manager claimed.
The 'Smokey Places' singer was taken to a hospital in Reading, Penn. where he was still undergoing tests as of Sunday morning, according to WKRN.
7 Ronnie McDowell in 1970.
Michael Ochs Archives
7 Ronnie McDowell during a performance.
Ronnie McDowell/Facebook
After the concert, McDowell's son, Tyler Dean McDowell, released a statement on Facebook addressing his dad's health scare.
'Hey everyone—I know you're all concerned. I promise—no one is more worried than I am,' Tyler wrote. 'Please understand, this is an incredibly stressful time, and right now, my focus is on my Dad. If there's anything that needs to be shared, I promise—we will.'
7 Ronnie McDowell in 1977.
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
'If you can, pray,' he added.
The next day, Tyler gave an update on the singer's health in another Facebook post.
'Just wanted to let everyone know — I made it to Pennsylvania. Ronnie Dean & I are in the room with Dad,' Tyler penned. 'He's talking to us, and we're waiting to do the MRI. As soon as I know more, so will y'all. Love Forever.'
7 Moe Bandy, Ronnie McDowell, and Gene Watson attend the 2nd Annual Legendary Lunch presented by Webster Public Relations and CMA in Nashville in 2016.
Rick Diamond
7 Ronnie McDowell performing at a venue in Sept. 2024.
Ronnie McDowell/Facebook
7 Dick Clark, Ronnie McDowell in 1977.
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
In a second update shared hours later, Tyler wrote, 'Brought dad some Popcorners and a Kombucha (snacks he likes). Ronnie Dean brought his comfy shows, favorite brush, and Vietnam hat. Dad was very excited about all this — like a kid in a candy store. Figured y'all could use a lil' levity.'
McDowell, whose career spans decades, is best known for his chart-topping songs 'Older Women' and 'You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation.'
His very first album was 1977's 'The King Is Gone,' which was a tribute to Elvis Presley after the music legend's death at age 42 that same year.
McDowell has five children, including sons Tyler and Ronnie Jr., who are both musicians.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Boomer bummer: Cuomo's over-the-hill campaign strategy no match for Mamdani's fresh approach
He won by playing it cool. Mayoral Dem primary winner Zohran Mamdani shot up in popularity with younger voters as comedians and influencers lambasted out-of-touch ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Democratic observers say. The winning 33-year-old socialist's online stature — bolstered by his own masterfully produced social content — tapped into the zeitgeisty humor of Millennials and Gen Z, making the 67-year-old Cuomo's social strategy look like something out of a history book, they said. 'We really need young men in their 30s and 40s who still listen to podcasts (to come out and vote),' New York City-based comedian Nick Mullen said sarcastically, ribbing Cuomo, in a video posted to Instagram alongside Madmani the day before the primaries. 5 City socialist Zohran Mamdani celebrates his mayoral Dem primary-race win In Long Island City, Queens, last month. Stephen Yang 'I cannot listen to Andrew Cuomo ever again,' added Mullen, who donated to Mamdani's campaign, to his 213,000 followers in a video that scored more than 50,000 likes. While Mamdani's primary win last month seemed to come out of nowhere to some, it didn't to 20- to 30-somethings across the five boroughs. Nearly every major poll projected a fairly easy Cuomo victory — but they clearly neglected to capture to the scope of Mamdani's digital grassroots mega-movement. 5 Mamdani joins comedian Nick Mullen in encouraging young people to vote for the 33-year-old pol. Instagram/@mulldogforever 5 On the morning of the primaries, Mamdani filmed another social video with supermodel Emily Ratajkowski. Instagram/@emrata Mullen's post was one of many reels and TikTok videos from Mamdani's base that garnered hundreds of thousands of views, reaching young voters in a way Cuomo's didn't, a review by The Post found. In exchange for $2,000 from the Mamdani campaign, comedian Jeffrey Seal wrote, directed and starred in a nearly 6-minute video that follows the 'Journalist' around the Big Apple as he tried to find the elusive Cuomo. The cheeky short — which racked up 1.2 million views — is chockful of hits to Cuomo's record and features iconic New Yorkers including comedian Ilana Glaser of 'Broad City' and musician Reggie Watts. On the morning of the primaries, Mamdani also filmed another social video with supermodel Emily Ratajkowski. The proof of Mamdani's sleeper popularity was in the primary results — with him destroying Cuomo in a historic upset, taking home a 56% to 44% victory in the third round of the city's ranked choice voting — and winning the popular vote in every round before that. While complete voter age data won't be released by election officials until July 15, polls by Emerson and Marist from May and June had shown Mamdani leading with voters under 45 by as much as a 2:1 ratio against the former governor. 5 Jeffrey Seal was paid $2,000 by the Mamdani campaign to direct a video poking fun at Cuomo. Instagram/@zohrankmamdani Zohran spent more than $85,000 on video production, not including TV Ads, while Cuomo's strategy hinged heavily on staid union endorsements along with name recognition and an older voter base. Alyssa Cass, a partner at Sling Shot Strategies who ran Scott Stringer's failed bid for mayor, gave props to Mamdani's strategy. 'It really mattered, it made it part of the culture in a way that none of us were seeing,' she said of his online, take-it-to-the-streets tactics. 'Visibly matters a lot in mayoral races, and he became the only candidate that anyone talked about. 'I even forgot Cuomo had a logo. He ran it like it was Bill Clinton, like it was 1992 race,' she said. A Post review of the ex-governor's social-media accounts found no instances of the legacy politician intentionally engaging with voters under 45. The former governor notoriously conducted most of his appearances in secure venues and used concert-style paper wrist bands to identify attendees of his events, which became a laughing matter among reporters and others attending them. 5 'He ran it like it was Bill Clinton, like it was a 1992 race,' a political operative said of Cuomo's campaign. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post 'This may come as a surprise to Cuomo and his irrelevant consultant friends, but only going to protected event spaces filled with paid attendees is more outdated than a North Korean military parade,' a Dem strategist said. Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for the Cuomo campaign, told The Post, 'There is no doubt we could have done more to reach out to younger voters, and that's one of the issues currently under review as we consider next steps.' One standout moment of Mamdani's campaign came the Friday before the primary, when the Queens state assemblyman traversed the length of Manhattan — of course capturing the 13.4 mile journey on video to share with his 1.1 million followers on TikTok. 'On Friday night, we walked the length of Manhattan, from Inwood Hill to Battery Park. Because New Yorkers deserve a Mayor they can hear, see and even yell at if they need to. We out here,' Mamdani wrote in the caption. Mamdani's rep did not respond to Post requests for comment.
Time Magazine
5 hours ago
- Time Magazine
A Manga Is Causing Earthquake Panic in Japan
Earthquakes can't be predicted. Scientists agree that precise predictions of a time, place, and magnitude is not possible with current technologies. Yet a years-old Japanese manga that claims a 'megaquake'—those above a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale—will strike on July 5 has generated panic and deterred some inbound travelers for the past several months. The 2021 reprint of The Future I Saw by Ryo Tatsuki, a retired mangaka in her 70s, warns that a 'huge' tsunami 'three times the size' of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake will wash over countries in the Pacific Ocean. The first edition of the manga, published in 1999, had referred to a 'great disaster' in March 2011 that coincided with the earthquake that killed more than 18,000 people and caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster. Last month, Tatsuki appeared to scale back her prediction about a July 5 megaquake, telling the national newspaper Sankei that it may not happen. But she fell short of entirely withdrawing her warning. TIME has reached out to Tatsuki for comment. The 2021 reprint has sold more than 1 million copies in Japan, and social media content that has racked up millions of views is fueling the scientifically unfounded fears. In recent weeks, two Hong Kong-based airlines alone have cut down on flights to southern Japan due to lower passenger interest. 'We are surprised that such rumors have led to cancellations,' the Tokushima Tourism promotion division said. The Japanese government has warned about earthquake speculation. In April, it released a statement that, 'predicting earthquakes by specifying the date, time, and location is difficult with current scientific knowledge.' Last month, Japan Meteorological Agency director-general Ryoichi Nomura said in a news conference that it was 'regrettable that people are being affected by baseless information in this age of modern science.' Japan has long been a hotbed of seismic activity due to its position in the Pacific Ring of Fire. In August, JMA issued an advisory that 'the likelihood of a new major earthquake is higher than normal' in relation to the Nankai Trough, a 560 mi. oceanic trench to Japan's south. Earthquakes arising from the Nankai Trough are as the geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith A. Hubbard put it, 'the original definition of the 'Big One.'' Earlier this year, a government panel issued a report stating that a megaquake along the Nankai Trough has an 80% chance of happening in the next 30 years. Under the worst-case scenario, as many as 298,000 people could die, the report added. Japan experiences about 1,500 earthquakes a year, almost a fifth of the global total. The country has spent decades putting earthquake preparedness plans in place. Given the history and frequency of earthquakes in Japan, concern is understandable. But JMA's Nomura has 'strongly' urged the 'public not to take irrational actions driven by anxiety.' JMA remains a reliable source of information about earthquakes in Japan, as are the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the British Geological Survey (BGS), and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) in their respective regions. Callum Sutherland contributed reporting from London.
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Japan Flights Cancelled Amid Impact of Manga Doomsday Prediction
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Rumors about an impending natural disaster, sparked by an old comic book, have hit Japan's tourism boom, leading some airlines to suspend flights to the country. Hong Kong's Greater Bay Airlines is one of them, announcing an indefinite suspension of flights to Tokushima on Wednesday. This follows the viral spread of predictions linked to a manga depicting a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, reportedly foreseen for July 2025, according to Japan Today. Why It Matters The downturn underscores how digital-era rumors can disrupt real-world economies by influencing consumer behavior—here, curbing a significant boom in Japan's tourism sector. Japan logged an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travelers in April 2025 before arrivals fell in May, particularly from Hong Kong, where superstition over the manga's forecast drove an 11 percent year-on-year drop, according to the most recent data cited by Japan Today. What To Know Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based EGL Tours said the warnings circulating on social media "had a significant impact," halving his agency's Japan bookings. With tourism central to many regions' economies, persistent fears threaten both travel patterns and business revenues, despite reassurances from scientists and even the manga's creator. Where the Trend Came From The trend originated from a manga titled The Future I Saw by Ryo Tatsuki. First published in 1999 and re-released in 2021, the comic's initial edition referenced a major natural disaster in March 2011—the month Japan endured a deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster at Fukushima in Japan's northeast. Some readers now claim the latest edition predicts a new catastrophe specifically on July 5, 2025, sparking waves of alarm on social media in Hong Kong and neighboring Asian territories, Reuters reports. A nearly empty terminal at Tokyo's Haneda airport is during the Golden Week holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 2, 2020. A nearly empty terminal at Tokyo's Haneda airport is during the Golden Week holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 2, 2020. AP How Superstition and Social Media Amplified the Impact In Hong Kong, where fears about the prediction gained the most traction, some agencies reported dramatic reductions in Japan-bound travel. Steve Huen of EGL Tours stated that bookings had halved, only sustained by steep discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance. "The rumors have had a significant impact," Huen said. Effect on Travel and Flight Cancellations Greater Bay Airlines announced that it would suspend its service to Tokushima, western Japan, from September, citing insufficient demand. Other carriers signaled similar moves. The trend was especially pronounced among travelers from Hong Kong, with Japanese government statistics confirming an 11 percent decrease in arrivals from the region in May compared with the previous year, according to Reuters. Creator and Scientific Reaction Ryo Tatsuki, the manga's creator, issued a statement through her publisher denying she was a prophet and downplaying interpretations of her work. "I am not a prophet," Tatsuki said. Seismologist Robert Geller from the University of Tokyo told Reuters that even scientifically-based earthquake prediction was "impossible." "None of the predictions I've experienced in my scientific career have come close at all," Geller said. He emphasized accurate earthquake prediction remains scientifically impossible. Japan's Earthquake Risk in Context Japan, positioned on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," faces frequent seismic activity. Over 900 minor earthquakes have hit islands off Kyushu's southern tip in recent days. However, scientific authorities stressed there is no credible basis for the July 2025 disaster forecast, according to Reuters. Continued Demand and Adjustments Despite the anxiety, some travelers continue to visit. Serena Peng, a Seattle resident visiting Tokyo, described having initial doubts after seeing online speculation but ultimately continuing with her trip. "I'm not super worried right now, but I was before," Peng said outside Tokyo's Senso-ji temple. What People Are Saying Steve Huen, executive director of EGL Tours, said: "The rumors have had a significant impact…Japan-related business halve[d]. Discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance…prevented Japan-bound travel from dropping to zero." Branden Choi, a traveler from Hong Kong, said: "If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September." University of Tokyo seismologist Robert Geller said: "None of the predictions I've experienced in my scientific career have come close at all." What Happens Next Airlines and tour companies are expected to continue monitoring booking trends and adjust schedules as traveler sentiment evolves. Japanese tourism officials and industry stakeholders have ramped up efforts to reassure visitors of their safety, emphasizing reassurances by scientists.
