Richie Faulkner has updated fans on his health following surgery after he suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival.
Faulkner suffered a horrifying “aortic aneurysm” onstage at Louder Than Life at the end of Judas Priest’s set at the festival. He was then taken to hospital for what turned into life-saving emergency heart surgery.
Faulkner, who is now recovering at home in Nashville, gave an update on his condition in a social media post earlier today.
“Hello there maniacs! I just wanted to post, and I’ve had many of you asking for an update on how my recovery is going,” he wrote.
“I was able to return home from hospital 10 days after my surgery to continue recovery at home. It has now been 7 weeks since the night it all happened and I’m feeling very strong and positive.
“My incisions have healed very well and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m walking well and moving freely, I’m pretty active and I’m starting cardiac therapy very soon.
“I’m playing guitar everyday and with the love and support of my family, the continued support from you guys and the inspiration that I get from the guitar, I’ll be back on stage in no time! My surgeons are very pleased with my progress and have all reserved front row tickets for the next Priest show haha.
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“It’s Thanksgiving this month, and whether you celebrate it or not, I have a lot to give thanks for this year; Including all of you for your patience, your love and your support. Lots of love and I’ll see you down the front soon, horns held high.”
Recently, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford also updated fans with “good news” regarding the health of his bandmate.
In an interview with Heavy Consequence, Halford had a positive update on Faulkner. “The good news is he’s healing, and his therapy will be picking up the guitar and getting back into these new songs for Priest and getting ready for the next batch of road work,” he said.
“I’ve had a couple of conversations with him, and he sounds great. I’m waiting to hear that he’s picked up the guitar – he’s probably picked up the guitar already and his doctors are saying, ‘Put that guitar down!’”
Halford said that he’s been unable to bring himself to watch the footage from the concert that shows Faulkner’s health scare. “I can’t look at that yet,” the singer insisted.
“I’m still shook up, emotionally. Eventually, I’ll try to watch the footage, but (Faulkner) says in his own words when he looked at that footage he sees a dying man, which is basically what it was.”
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Check out ‘Painkiller’ (Live at Louder Than Life) by Judas Priest:
