Mark Chesnutt Hospitalized, Undergoes Emergency Heart Surgery

Mark Chesnutt experienced a heart health issue last weekend that required emergency surgery. It's forced him to cancel all upcoming shows.

• Mark Chesnutt scored hits like "Brother Jukebox," "It's a Little Too Late" and "Goin' Through the Big D" during the 1990s.
• He's struggled with unspecified health issues in recent years, especially since November 2023 when he was forced to cancel a spate of shows.
• That month he referred to a long term health battle that he's been experiencing saying he'd take a couple months off to get better.

Related: Essential 90s Country Songs

A social media post reveals that Chesnutt underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery.

"It is with a heavy heart that I announce the cancellation of my upcoming shows," he says. "I send my love and gratitude to my family and friends, the band and fans for your understanding, prayers and support, and look forward to seeing you all again soon at a honky tonk near you."

Chesnutt's website has not been updated to reflect cancelations. One show — planned for June 21 in Lake Charles, La. — has been moved to Dec. 13.

In November, he was admitted to the hospital and placed in critical care for what his team later describe as tests and treatment. "The fight is over," he'd say two weeks later.

That was a reference to his giving in to prescribed treatment for a chronic health problem. It's not clear if this cardiac event is related.

Who Is Mark Chesnutt?

Mark Chesnutt's first hit was "Brother Jukebox" in 1990. He notched eight No. 1 songs across throughout the 1990s, the final being "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," an Aerosmith cover he'd later express regret in recording. His honky-tonk sound was more in line with contemporaries like Tracy Lawrence and Joe Diffie.

Despite not being regularly nominated for country music awards, Chesnutt was a radio mainstay with at least three hits each year from 1991 to 1998. He's has continued to record and tour in the 20 years since.

Chesnutt has been married to wife Tracie since 1992. They have three kids.

Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he's written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.