Showing Some Love to Ronnie McDowell Amid Health Scare

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With the way country music so summarily casts many of its legends to the side, it can be easy to forget about the legacy of someone like Ronnie McDowell, even if you’d never forget hit songs like “Older Women,” “You’re Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation,” and “You Made A Wanted Man of Me.”

Like many country legends not on the top level, Ronnie’s discography is a mess of out-of-print titles and poorly-curated compilations. Even if a younger fan wanted to discover his musical legacy, it would be difficult to impossible.

Ronnie McDowell didn’t exactly have the conventional start to his music career. After serving in the US Navy from 1968 to 1972, the Tennessee native kicked around in the music business not really finding much success. Then his tribute to Elvis Presley, “The King Is Gone” released on the small Scorpion Records label in the aftermath of Presley’s death in 1977 became a hit both in country and rock. This landed Ronnie on the radar of many in the music industry.

An idol of Elvis, Ronnie McDowell would have a behind-the-scenes career re-recording Elvis hits for movies and television series for many years afterwards.

But after the success of “The King Is Gone,” McDowell released another single called “I Love You, I Love You, I Love You” also on Scorpion Records that hit #5 in country, and made him a star all on his own. Nonetheless, his music career would sort of meander until late 1980 when he had another big hit with “Wandering Eyes.” McDowell wasn’t a hard country honky tonker. His sound was more lounge-like and leisure-suited. This happened to fit the impending Urban Cowboy era perfectly.

Between late 1980 and early 1986, Ronnie McDowell would have thirteen straight singles chart in the Top 10 except for one #11 after being signed to Epic Records. This would also include two #1 songs (“Older Women,” “You’re Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation”) and six Top 5s. Ronnie McDowell was one of the era’s most successful performers.

But when McDowell moved to Curb Records in 1986, the label notorious for mismanaging certain careers saw Ronnie slide out of the Top 30, and even the Top 50. He did have a couple of minor hits, including with a remake of Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe,” and a rendition of “Unchained Melody.” But Ronnie McDowell quickly faded out of mainstream popularity.

McDowell kept his career going though, including continuing to record Elvis songs, namely for a 1990 television series called Elvis, as well as the 1997 special on Showtime, Elvis Meets Nixon. McDowell never entirely quit being a performer, continuing to release songs and albums, even if the industry had passed him by. He even appeared on Dolly Parton’s recent foray into rock music, Rockstar, reprising the song “I Dreamed About Elvis” that started his career.

At a recent show in Pennsylvania Saturday night, June 21st, at the Summer Solstice Music Festival, the 75-year-old Ronnie McDowell took the stage and started slurring his words severely. His tour manager approached him and asked McDowell if he was okay, to which he responded “No.” They took him to a hospital in Reading for evaluation.

Of course, the media had a field day posting click-bait stories about Ronnie McDowell’s health scare with little real info or background information. But on Monday (6-23), Ronnie McDowell Jr. who was on stage with his father at the time gave a further update.

“My Dad is being released from the hospital today,” McDowell Jr. said. “He did suffer a mini stroke the other day on stage here in Pennsylvania. I knew something wasn’t right as I had his vocals in my in ear monitor and I could hear him slurring his words and forgetting the words to his songs that he has sang for many years.”

McDowell Jr. went on to say, “Every single person at the hospital was so incredibly nice and helpful. The Doctors told him that he will need surgery in the next few weeks. They do want him to take it easy but they said that he can perform and workout in the next few days. He was so happy about that. When he got out, he wanted to go to his favorite Italian restaurant. We are all heading home now. I will definitely try to keep you all updated as we go.”

It sounds like Ronnie McDowell’s health episode was serious, but hopefully, completely recoverable. But it’s a stark reminder to make sure these country legends get their flowers while they’re still around to enjoy them. And in the case, of Ronnie it’s also a good opportunity to lobby to get his old records released digitally at least, so that when people hear the name “Ronnie McDowell,” they can explore his musical legacy.

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