Richie Faulkner underwent 10-and-a-half hour open-heart surgery after suffering aortic aneurysm onstage with Judas Priest

Richie Faulkner
(Image credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Richie Faulkner has issued an update regarding his health, after the Judas Priest guitarist was hospitalized in order to receive major emergency heart surgery last week.

In the statement, Faulkner revealed he suffered “an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection” during the middle of Priest’s set at Kentucky’s Louder Than Life festival on September 26, and said doctors informed him that “people with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive”.

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Matt Owen

Matt is a Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.