Entertainment Music Country Colt Ford Breaks His Silence After Hospitalization as He Promises Fans 'This Ol' Country Boy Will Get Back' "Make sure you take care of yourself," the country-rap star said weeks after he was hospitalized following a heart attack By Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis is a staff writer on the music team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2019, and her work has previously appeared in Entertainment Weekly and the New York Daily News. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 25, 2024 02:55PM EDT Close Colt Ford performing in Nashville in August 2023. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Country-rap star Colt Ford is speaking out for the first time after he was hospitalized following a heart attack. The musician, 54, thanked his friends and fans for their support during a difficult stretch in a video shared to Instagram on Wednesday, April 24, nearly three weeks after he was rushed to the ICU after performing in Arizona. “I just want to tell you guys, thank y’all for all the prayers, the love, the comments, the messages. I got a long way to go, but I promise you this ol’ country boy will get back. It probably won’t be this year, and I hate I gotta miss all these shows, but I’m coming back,” Ford said in the video. “I’m coming back.” Ford went on to thank the many people who reached out and offered help, and also gave a shoutout to his family and his fiancée Megan for sticking by his side. Colt Ford's Condition Is 'Steadily Improving' as Country Star 'Remains in the ICU' Following Heart Attack “It’s tough on everybody. You don't realize that until you get into a situation,” he said. “Make sure you take care of yourself. Things can sneak up on you. But know that I’m coming back. I’m coming back, I promise you. I love y’all.” The star was taken to the ICU at the Banner Desert Medical Center on April 4 after he suffered a heart attack following his performance at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row venue in Gilbert, Arizona. A rep for Ford told PEOPLE on April 8 that while he remained in the ICU, his condition was “steadily improving in a positive direction.” Ford’s fiancée Megan shared a post to Instagram asking for prayers on April 13, telling fans that he’d gone into cardiac arrest and later suffered a heart attack after the April 4 show. “Eight days later, after dying twice, it is a miracle he is slowly recovering in the ICU,” she wrote. “The team of doctors and nurses at the Mayo Clinic have been an absolute Godsend and we could not be more grateful! Please keep your prayers coming and thank you everyone for all the love and support ❤️” Colt Ford performing in Nashville in September 2023. Jason Kempin/Getty Colt Ford in ICU After Suffering Heart Attack Following Arizona Performance The musician initially earned recognition as a professional golfer on the Nationwide Tour before developing an interest in country and hip-hop music. His 2008 debut album Ride Through the Country featured collaborations with John Michael Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson and Brantley Gilbert. He also cowrote the song “Dirt Road Anthem,” which was a crossover hit for Jason Aldean in 2010. Ford was diagnosed with eye cancer in 2021, but returned to the stage days after undergoing surgery. Following the diagnosis and operation, Ford said his outlook on life changed. "I thought to myself … all the dumb s--- I have done, I could have killed myself multiple times and this is what is going to take me out?" he said. "I know darn well that God never puts anything on you that you can't handle, but the Lord might have a lot more confidence in me than I thought," he said at the time.