Country singer and rapper Colt Ford, the cowriter of the hit song Dirt Road Anthem, has been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack Thursday in Gilbert, Ariz.
Ford was stricken after a performance at at Dierks Bently’s Whiskey Row. He is in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, but is considered stable, reports indicate.
Ford is multiplatinum singer-songwriter with several No. 1 hits to his name. Dirt Road Anthem, recorded with Brantley Gilbert, was covered by Jason Aldean for his 2010 album, My Kinda Party. It was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance.
Ford’s own albums include Ride Through the Country, Declaration of Independence, and Must Be the Country.
Ford had prior health issues before, including eye cancer and myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease.
Ford had tour dates scheduled for the weeks ahead, including a Friday show in Primm, Nev., and a Saturday slot at the Wake the Lake Country Festival in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.