Legendary ‘70s Country Singer, 86, Suffers Heart Attack

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Legendary ‘70s Country Singer, 86, Suffers Heart Attack originally appeared on Parade.

Beloved singer and comedian Ray Stevens is recovering from a medical emergency.

The “Streak” crooner, 86, suffered a heart attack on Friday, July 4, according to a statement shared via his Instagram account on Tuesday, July 8.

“Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Stevens is in recovery after undergoing minimally invasive heart surgery yesterday morning [Monday, July 7],” the statement read. “Last Friday evening, Ray complained of chest pain and was admitted to a Nashville hospital. After a heart catheterization procedure, it was determined he’d suffered a mild heart attack.”

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The statement continued: “Ray’s initial surgery was successful but performances at his CabaRay Showroom are understandably cancelled through July 2025 as he recovers.”

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In January 2024, Stevens (real name Harold Ray Ragsdale) announced his decision to scale back his music career, revealing at the time that he planned to “stop performing regularly” at his Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom in Nashville at the end of the year.

“I’ll be going to work every day in my recording studio and maybe I’ll do a few, a very few, shows in some old familiar places,” he said in a statement. “I’m definitely slowing down, but I haven’t come to a complete stop. Not yet, anyway.”

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However, after his final performance in December 2024, Stevens confirmed his return to the stage in May to promote his latest album, Say Whut?, which was released in March. The live performances kicked off at the CabaRay Showroom on May 17 and were scheduled to extend through December of this year.

Stevens is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for his hits “Everything Is Beautiful” and “Misty” as well as his novelty tunes such as “The Streak,” “Mississippi Squirrel Revival,” “Gitarzan” and “It’s Me Again, Margaret.” He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019.

Stevens was married to wife Penny Jackson Ragsdale for more than 60 years until her December 2021 death at age 78 following a lengthy cancer battle. The couple shared daughters Suzi and Timi.

Legendary ‘70s Country Singer, 86, Suffers Heart Attack first appeared on Parade on Jul 8, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.