Faron Young and Marty Robbins newsletter — 29 December 2010
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010MARTY ROBBINS HEART ATTACK
Marty Robbins wrapped up the year of 1980 with a three-performance New Year’s Eve show in Evansville, Indiana. After returning home to Nashville, he experienced chest pains. “I thought it was just an extra bad case of indigestion,” he said later, “because I’ve had a heart attack, and it was nothing like the one in ’69.” That one had required triple-bypass surgery in January 1970. Now, 11 years later, he waited several days before calling his doctor for an appointment the next day. The doctor insisted he come to the office immediately. “I had on a big cowboy hat, a straw hat, I had on boots and jeans and a big jacket like real cowboys wear, y’know,” Marty recalled. The doctor checked him and called an ambulance. Marty thought he was kidding until ambulance attendants rolled in a stretcher. “Doctor Ewers,” Marty said, “I’m not dressed for the hospital.” The doctor insisted he get in the ambulance. Marty felt embarrassed to be wheeled through the waiting room on his back, dressed in his outdoor clothes with his hat lying across his chest. He spent almost two weeks in the hospital and another six weeks at home before resuming his touring schedule. (more…)