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Country star Hardy in hospital due to severe panic attacks

Singer said anxiety stems from 2022 tour bus incident

Inga Parkel
Wednesday 04 October 2023 13:37 EDT
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Hardy
Hardy (AFP via Getty Images)

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Country star Hardy has announced the cancellation of three of his October concerts, citing the “serious anxiety” he’s been dealing with ever since a 2022 bus accident.

Last year, the 33-year-old “Truck Bed” singer-songwriter (real name Michael Wilson Hardy) and three others were returning from a show in Bristol, Tennessee, when their tour bus overturned on the I-40 interstate highway near Nashville.

On Tuesday (3 October), days after the one-year anniversary of the accident, Hardy disclosed that he has been suffering with severe panic attacks, “which have landed me in the hospital”.

“I need to be honest with everyone for a second. I’ve been dealing with some serious anxiety since the bus accident last year and over the last two weeks, it has taken control of my life,” he wrote on Instagram.

“It’s caused me to suffer many panic attacks which have landed me in the hospital. I need a moment to focus on me and make myself better for my wife, family and you, the fans,” he said.

“Unfortunately I will need to cancel the two Mockingbird & The Crow Fall Tour shows on Oct 5th & 7th,” Hardy added. “The Georgia Rodeo show will be moved to April 12th 2024.”

He noted that refunds for the cancelled shows will be available from the point of purchase, while tickets for his postponed show will remain valid for the new date.

“My plan is to be back and focused on Oct 12th. Thank you for understanding, see you soon,” Hardy concluded.

Following the accident, he and the three other passengers were taken to hospital, where they were treated for “significant injuries”. Upon his release, Hardy said that doctors had ordered him to spend several weeks recovering.

Hardy’s currently on tour in support of his latest studio album, The Mockingbird and the Crow. Once he is back on the road, he will still have two months left, before wrapping up on 9 December.

The country star has written songs for several big-name country artists, including Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, Blake Shelton, Dallas Smith, Thomas Rhett and Morgan Wallen.

Hardy recently nabbed four nominations at the forthcoming Country Music Association Awards show, which will be held in Nashville on 8 November. His duet with Lainey Wilson, “Wait in the Truck”, is up for single of the year, song of the year, musical event of the year and music video of the year.

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