Legendary country artist Mark Chesnutt, 62, suffered a medical emergency prior to a concert on Thursday night (October 16).
Fox News Digital reports that Mark Chesnutt, the artist behind hits such as “Brother Jukebox” and “Goin’ Through the Big D,” was set to open for ALABAMA at their Baton Rouge, Louisiana, tour stop but fell ill upon arriving in the Bayou State.
“Mark was admitted to Baton Rouge General Hospital Thursday morning after his flight arrived for the concert with Alabama,” a representative for Chesnutt told Fox News Digital on Friday. “He is still in the hospital today for testing on a low sodium count and very high blood pressure. He is stable.”
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The singer missed his scheduled Thursday night concert and cancelled an appearance planned for Saturday night in New Mexico. A statement was issued on behalf of Mark that read:
“Mark wants to apologize to the fans who came to see him in Baton Rouge and also to those who had planned to see him today in Portales, New Mexico. He hopes to be back to perform in both cities soon.”
Mark Chesnutt’s hospitalization is the latest in a series of health issues for the stars.
Chesnutt underwent emergency quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2024. He was forced to cancel nearly two months of shows while he recuperated.
“Well folks, doc says I got a new heart!” Chesnutt wrote in an update to fans at that time. “I’m recovering comfortably at home with my family. Today we sat on the porch just soaking in the sun and that beautiful Texas weather. But I can’t wait to get back to pickin’ and singin’ with all my favorite fans!”
In an interview with American Songwriter in early 2025, Mark detailed lifelong back issues that led to near-career ending surgery. He told the outlet that he had lived with the pain of a fractured back for years, only getting surgery after he was unable to walk and fell down an escalator at the Houston airport.
“It was just bone-on-bone, and I had a lot of nerve damage,” Chesnutt said of his decision to have surgery in 2021. “I just couldn’t keep my balance anymore. Doctors told me if I didn’t stop and have surgery, I was gonna be crippled.”
It was also during that time that the singer faced his alcoholism head-on. A longtime drinker, the pain of his back issues, surgery, and subsequent recovery coupled with the pandemic drove Chesnutt to drink more.
“I drank all day, every day,” Chesnutt admitted. “I’d get up in the middle of the night and drink. I’d never stop.”
After being taken to the hospital and being told that he was days from death, Mark Chesnutt made the decision to stop drinking and start healing.
