Richie Faulkner knew his priorities especially when he faced near-death experiences.
Faulkner and his Judas Priest's co-members gave their fans the best night at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville in September 2021. But little did he know, it almost became his last night.
In an interview with Guitar World, the 42-year-old lead guitarist recalled the time he almost faced death when his aorta ruptured amid the band's performance.
According to Faulkner, he initially felt chest tightening while performing alongside shortness of breath. Despite that, he pushed himself to finish the performance but unfortunately collapsed into a chair at the side of the stage afterward.
"I needed to finish the song, but I had the presence of mind to come back from the edge of the stage just in case I passed out from fatigue. Luckily, Metallica was headlining that night, or we would have played a full set and I probably would have dropped dead onstage," he said.
As he showed he was okay throughout their performance, the musician said he could have handled it differently if he knew that there was already bleeding into his chest cavity.
One of which was to drive home instead of going to the hospital. Faulkner reportedly planned to have a few days off and spend time with his new baby.
But after the medics and his girlfriend, Mariah Lynch, urged him to get medical attention, he agreed and had them drive him to Rudd Heart and Lung Center at U of L Health-Jewish Hospital.
Richie Faulkner Saved By Metal
After the health issue, he realized that he actually did not feel any warning signs. Still, he proclaimed that he was saved by his love for metal and the power of the genre.
"They think that maybe my adrenaline was so high because we were playing and that my heart was pumping hard enough and fast enough to keep me going long enough to get pumped up with more adrenaline and keep me going to the hospital," he went on.
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He underwent an 11-hour surgery, allowing his doctors to repair the aortic rupture and his aneurysm at the same time.
Fortunately, Faulkner received a second life because of the miracle doctors who helped him survive. He has been showing positive progress, as well, as he has since started performing with Judas Priest again.
He is also expected to be back on the road in October and November.
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