Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Stevens is on the mend.
“The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” crooner, 86, behind fan favorite hits such as “Everything Is Beautiful” and “Misty,” as well as the comedic “The Streak,” is in recovery after undergoing minimally invasive heart surgery on Monday, July 7, according to a press release shared by Stevens’ rep Don Murry Grubbs with The Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Three days prior, Stevens had complained of chest pain and was admitted to a Nashville hospital. After a heart catheterization procedure, doctors determined he’d suffered a mild heart attack, the release said.
Stevens’ initial surgery was successful, but performances at his West Nashville-based CabaRay Showroom are canceled through July as he recovers.
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For six decades, two-time Grammy winner Stevens has been synonymous with the crossover of country’s traditions into mainstream pop.
That success has yielded the sale of more than 40 million albums, as well as inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and a star on the Music City Walk of Fame.
Seven years ago, Stevens opened the CabaRay Showroom, a live music venue and dinner theater located in West Nashville.
Since then, he has performed hundreds of weekly concerts in the 35,000-square-foot venue, inspired by the feel of an old Las Vegas casino showroom.
“The reason I built the CabaRay was I was just tired of the road, tired of traveling or having to get on a plane or bus to go where I needed to perform,” the performer said when interviewed by The Tennessean last year.
“I’m just doing what I’ve always done and trying to make music. I love what I do and I do just want to continue to do that as long as I can,” Stevens said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ray Stevens heart attack: Singer undergoes surgery
