"Lonely Teardrops"
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Jackie Wilson, singer of "Higher and Higher"...
On September 29, 1975, Wilson was one of the featured acts in Dick Clark's Good Ol' Rock and Roll Revue, hosted by the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He was in the middle of singing "Lonely Teardrops" when he suffered a massive heart attack.[31] On the words "My heart is crying" he collapsed on stage; audience members applauded as they initially thought it was part of the act. Clark sensed something was wrong, then ordered the musicians to stop the music. Cornell Gunter of the Coasters, who was backstage, noticed Wilson was not breathing. Gunter was able to resuscitate him and Wilson was then rushed to a nearby hospital.[14] According to Larry Geller, Wilson wanted to sweat profusely during his performances, explaining to Elvis Presley, "The chicks love it." To induce the effect, he would take a handful of salt tablets and drink a large amount of water before going onstage.[34] High salt consumption is known to be a risk factor for heart disease.[35]
Medical personnel worked to stabilize Wilson's vital signs, but the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to slip into a coma. He briefly recovered in early 1976, and was even able to take a few wobbly steps, but slipped back into a semi-comatose state.[36]
Wilson's friend, fellow singer Bobby Womack, planned a benefit at the Hollywood Palladium to raise funds for Wilson on March 4.[36] Wilson was deemed conscious but incapacitated in early June 1976, unable to speak but aware of his surroundings. He was a resident of the Medford Leas Retirement Center in Medford, New Jersey, when he was admitted into Memorial Hospital of Burlington County in Mount Holly, New Jersey, due to having trouble taking nourishment, according to his attorney John Mulkerin. Elvis Presley covered a large portion of Wilson’s medical bills. Wilson's friend Joyce McRae tried to become his caregiver while he was in a nursing home, but he was placed in the guardianship of his estranged wife Harlean Harris and her lawyer John Mulkerin in 1978.[37]
Wilson died on January 21, 1984,[31] at the age of 49 from complications of pneumonia
In a coma for almost 9 years - with only one spell where he woke up.
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@George-K said in "Lonely Teardrops":
Youngest guy I ever anesthetized for a CABG was 39.
???
(Even though I play a doctor on TV, I am not a real doctor. 555)
