Country singer Randy Travis has undergone heart surgery after being admitted to a Texas area hospital and listed in critical condition on Sunday, according to USA Today.
He was diagnosed with a viral heart infection.
"We have been told he has had surgery," his sister-in-law Teresa Traywick told reporters. "Our prayers are going out to him because my husband just had a heart attack last year, so it is in their family. Their mother passed away at an early age with her heart, so it is like these boys are following right in their footsteps. My prayers are with them. That's all I can say right now."
The 54-year-old was said to be doing well leading up to his hospitalization, according to his spokesperson Kirt Webster. He had just performed shows in Detroit and Chicago and was set to perform another in South Dakota this week.
"Then on Sunday, it hit him," he said.
The singer is currently suffering from viral cardiomyopathy, a disease that attacks and weakens the muscles of the heart. Travis is one of the top-selling artists in country music with seven Grammys, 10 Academy of Country Music awards, and 10 American Music awards. In 2003, he was even awarded song of the year by the Country Music Association and The Academy of Country Music for his hit "Three Wooden Crosses." Despite these accolades, recent years have spelt trouble for the respected musician.
In 2012, he was arrested for public intoxication, first following the Super Bowl, and again in August for driving while intoxicated, according to CNN. During the second incident, he was also charged for allegedly threatening to shoot and kill the troopers working on his case.
A few weeks later, Travis had another brush with the law when he was cited in a simple assault case after reportedly intervening in a fight between a husband and wife who were his acquaintances.
So did Travis' alcohol use and erratic behavior contribute to his current condition?
"To say that Mr. Travis' alcohol use exacerbated his problems would be pure speculation," Washington-based cardiologist Ramin Oskoui told CNN. "But if someone told me alcohol played a role in his cardiac problems, I wouldn't be surprised."
