Country music star Colt Ford has had a very tumultuous year, as he suffered a heart attack and actually died, twice. But the country rapper defied the odds when he returned to the stage in Nashville on Friday night (Sept. 13).

The heart attack happened after a show in Arizona in April of 2024, and Ford has been on the mend ever since. He has done very little press or interviews since then, as he has been under strict care from his doctors and has been in and out of the hospital and in recovery.

Ford is lucky to be alive, let alone performing on stage in front of a huge hometown crown in Nashville.

Colt Ford Stuns Fans With Stage Return in Nashville

One of Ford’s best friends is fellow country star Brantley Gilbert.

Gilbert stopped by the Taste of Country Nights studio earlier this week, and revealed the surprise that was looming for fans who attended his World’s Largest Album Release Party on Friday in downtown Nashville.

Gilbert told host Evan Paul, “Tomorrow night, he is making his comeback on stage.” The “Over When We’re Sober” singer spilled the details further, revealing that they planned to sing “Dirt Road Anthem.”

How did this all come to fruition, in perfect sync with Gilbert’s album release?

The “Bottoms Up” singer told Paul, “While he was still in the hospital, we got with his crew, and got his mic stand. So every night when I play that song, I take it out and I put it beside me and tell folks I made Colt a promise — and I did — when the doctor released him and said he could do a show, ‘You’re coming with us.'”

Gilbert clarified, “They won’t let him do a full show for a while, but, I said, ‘You’re coming.'”

When pressed further about the logistics, Gilbert gave more details. “He’s coming from Oklahoma. He’s really making a hell of an effort to do it. I appreciate the hell out of him, I can’t imagine. There’s some uncertainty there, I’d imagine there’s a lot of anxiety there, about getting up and doing it again.”

The two country music stars share a deep bond that goes back a long time. Gilbert said, “That dude’s my brother, he could call me, I don’t care what time of night it is, if I can’t be there I’ll have somebody there to sit with him until I get there.”

Gilbert was able to make good on a promise that he made to Ford, and Gilbert and Ford hit the stage together once again, and knocked it out of the park.

Check out Ford’s triumphant return to the stage in the fan-shot video below: