VALDOSTA – Colt Ford didn’t know if he’d ever play Wild Adventures again.

He didn’t know if he’d perform anywhere or do anything again.

Last April, Ford finished a show, walked off an Arizona stage and collapsed. He suffered two heart attacks – widow makers, the kind that often kill instantly. He said he was brought back from the dead. Not once but twice.

Ford has no memories of the heart attacks. Asking him if he felt bad during the performance prior to the heart attacks, he said he has no memories of the show, anything from earlier that same day, or anything for the next eight days.

“I’m doing a lot better, but it was a bad, bad thing. … I don’t remember anything,” Ford said in a recent phone interview with The Valdosta Daily Times. “I came out of a coma after eight days. They had to tell me about the attacks and how they brought me back twice. … The doc told me that I’m lucky to have survived. He said I am 1% of the 1%.”

In the past several weeks, Ford has worked to come back to the stage. By mid-March, he had made a handful of cameo performances during country star and friend Brantley Gilbert’s shows. He had yet to start returning to the stage as a headliner on any of his scheduled dates.

He said the April 5 show at Wild Adventures Theme Park will be his third scheduled show as a headliner.

“I went out again last weekend with Brantley Gilbert,” Ford said March 21. “I jumped up on stage with him for about 15 minutes.”

Ford said he wasn’t sure about it.

“I was never afraid of performing,” he said. “Never nervous. But to get out on stage with him that first night, I was terrified.

“… And Brantley didn’t have to do this. He didn’t have to give me some time on stage. It’s his show. Brantley knew though .. he knew I needed to get back out on stage and he knew I was really scared.”

Ford explained the 2024 heart attacks were unexpected. 

“When I went to bed the night before, I could do anything. I could play golf. I could perform,” he said. “When I woke from a coma, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t lift a cup.”

Prior to the attacks, his health concerns involved a diagnosis of eye cancer and Myasthenia Gravis, which his press representatives described as “an autoimmune disorder that affects his facial muscles and neural connections.” 

He underwent a battery of tests that showed no sign of heart issues.

He had lost 100 pounds, dropping from 350 to 250. Since last April, Ford has lost more weight, saying he is down to about 190 pounds.

Now, he’s re-starting his career.

Ford boasts more than 1.5 billion streams and 4 million social media followers, according to his press representatives. He’s known for pioneering the country rap genre. He penned country songs such as “Dirt Road Anthem,” taken to No. 1 on the charts by Jason Aldean, and “Country Must Be Country Wide,” which Brantley took to No. 1.

While he’s proud to see others take his songs to the top of the charts, Ford admits he wishes he’d carried those songs to No. 1. He also noted that other artists have recently found success with a music style that he’s championed for years.

“If I’m being honest, yes, it is frustrating,” Ford said. “As a performer, I’ve never had a Top 40 song in country music.

“At the same time, I’m unbelievably blessed. At the end of the day, I’m making music for the fans.”

So far, he hasn’t penned any lyrics about his experiences from the past year. 

“There’s so much I can’t remember. You can’t write about something you can’t remember,” Ford said. “But I see things differently now. I realize a lot of things I wanted were a waste of time.”

As he readies himself for touring, he’s pleased Wild Adventures and Valdosta are an early stop. The venue and the city are a touchstone in his career.

Shannon Houchins, his best friend and business partner, has Valdosta roots. Wild Adventures was one of Ford’s first shows in the early 2000s. He played July 4 and expected a small crowd. Instead, an audience of thousands greeted him.

“I always look forward to coming to Valdosta,” Ford said. “It’s always such a special place to me.”

Ford plays at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 5, Wild Adventures Theme Park, Old Clyattville Road. More information is available at wildadventures.com.