Friends and family of Randy Travis are said to be “frantic” and “extremely worried” about the singer’s condition.
Sources have told TMZ that Travis’ health had declined rapidly after he initially came down with what he thought was a cold but turned out to be pneumonia.
Travis is in critical condition at a Dallas hospital where he is being treated for acquired viral cardiomyopathy, his publicist said Monday.
The Grammy winner was admitted to the unidentified medical facility Sunday. No other details were released.
The Mayo Clinic’s Web site describes cardiomyopathy as a disease that weakens and enlarges the heart muscle, making it harder for the heart to pump blood and carry it to the rest of the body. It can lead to heart failure. Treatments range from medications and surgically implanted devices to heart transplants.
Travis, 54, is best known for “Three Wooden Crosses,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Diggin’ Up Bones,” and “Deeper Than the Holler.”
His hospitalization is the latest in a series of tough developments for the singer, after a handful of recent high-profile appearances, including a performance during the Country Music Association Festival’s nightly concert series.
He pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in January following his arrest last year when he was found naked after crashing his Pontiac Trans Am.
Travis was sentenced to two years of probation, fined $2000 and given a 180-day suspended jail sentence. He was required to spend at least 30 days at an alcohol treatment facility and complete 100 hours of community service.
With AP, Reuters