Classic rock legend Robert Fripp is currently recovering after he suffered a heart attack, leading to multiple emergency surgeries.
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The King Crimson guitarist and his wife, Toyah Willcox, spoke about the situation during the latest edition of Toyah & Robert’s Upbeat Moments. He recalled worrying about his chest pains while preparing to fly to Italy for a concert last month.
“I’d been suffering what I considered to be acid reflux for a couple of weeks before,” he explained. The musician noted that he had felt the same kind of pain before, and thought he’d get over it. He decided to schedule a doctor’s appointment in Italy just in case.
“I was in the A&E thinking, ‘Oh, they’re going to give me a prescription for acid reflux,'” he continued. However, the doctors told him, You’re supposed to have 10 of these, but you’ve got 500 of them,” referring to his troponin levels.
The Rock Legend Had Suffered a Heart Attack Without Knowing
The test results indicated the rock legend was having a heart attack. He had apparently suffered an attack about two weeks before the doctor visit and hadn’t known.
“You were in the right place at the right time,” Willcox said. “And I am so grateful.”
She then revealed that Fripp had undergone five hours of surgery, intensive care, and then a second surgery. Fripp said at one point, he was ready to check himself out of the hospital and fly home. However, he was advised that traveling could cause even more damage to his heart.
“He doesn’t speak Italian, and very few people spoke English,” Willcox pointed out. “So he kept stripping off when he was actually [being] asked what he wanted to eat!”
She also said Fripp “has never had anything wrong” with him. He had only stayed at the hospital once in his early 20s.
“He’s not experienced hospital as perhaps many times as women have,” Willcox noted. “Especially my age.”
She then praised Fripp and expressed gratitude to his medical team for keeping her informed “literally every hour.”
“I’m a very happy, fortunate man,” Fripp went on to add. If you think you have heartburn or acid reflux, really look into it. It might be something more.”
Fripp ended up performing at the concert in Italy alongside 124 members of The League of Crafty Guitarists.
“You went to work!” Willcox declared.
Fripp responded, “No, dear, I went to play with my friends!”