Robert Fripp, the mainstay of progressive rock band King Crimson who has also played on classic records by David Bowie, Blondie and Talking Heads, took to X, formerly Twitter, to thank friends and fans for their concern and let them know that he’s OK following a major health crisis.
“Gratitude to all the many good people who have sent good wishes, privately and publicly. Bless you,” Fripp wrote in the May 12 post. “Rumours of my impending uselessness are much exaggerated. I’m in great shape and great spirits, and set up for the remainder of my long life.”
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RF: Gratitude to all the many good people who have sent good wishes, privately and publicly. Bless you.
Rumours of my impending uselessness are much exaggerated.
I’m in great shape and great spirits, and set up for the remainder of my long life. pic.twitter.com/LuaxSQOQVn— Robert Fripp (@frippofficial) May 12, 2025
The message follows a video posted on YouTube over the weekend with his wife, collaborator and fellow music star Toyah Wilcox in which they revealed that Fripp had recently suffered a heart attack.
“He had a heart attack two weeks ago,” Wilcox said in the video. “And you were in the right place, in the right time, and I am so grateful, because you’ve been through a lot.”
Fripp went on to explain what occurred last month when he thought he was experiencing acid reflux prior to traveling to Italy for a concert. On the day he flew to Italy, Fripp said he felt even “more discomfort.”
Related: Legendary Rocker, 78, Recovering After Emergency Heart Surgery
The guitar legend was taken to a hospital in Bergamo where doctors discovered his blood had high levels of troponin, which could be an indicator of a heart attack.
Wilcox revealed that Fripp was in surgery for five hours and then had a second surgery. Fripp seems to have kept his sense of humor surrounding the ordeal.
“I was in A&E [accident and emergency], not quite knowing what was going on, other than I knew they were going to do something. And an orderly came along and shaved my balls!” Fripp revealed with a laugh. “The dear man, I really didn’t wish his job on him at that point. Now this is the thing, you’re concerned with my heart? Fine. What are you doing shaving my balls!”
Wilcox revealed that Fripp was shaved down to strip his body of anything that could possibly contain germs prior to the open-heart surgery.
Fripp will celebrate his 79th birthday on May 16.
