Former Paul Revere & the Raiders lead vocalist, Mark Lindsay, revealed on September 22, 2018, that he had a pacemaker installed earlier in the week. The singer, who turned 77 on March 9, 2019, and continued recording as a solo artist in the ’70s, has been part of the “Happy Together” tours of popular music acts of the ’60s – including the Turtles, the Association, the Cowsills, and others – for several years. He revealed that he had been “out of breath on tour this summer, and I’d had a few dizzy episodes on stage.” While his wife drove him to the hospital for tests on September 19, he passed out and was rushed to a cardiac center.
In a span from 1965 – 1971 the Raiders, with Lindsay on lead vocals, earned 11 Top 20 singles, including a pair of 1966 #4 hits “Kicks” (with a then 23-year-old Lindsay) and “Good Thing.” In 1971, they hit #1 with “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian).” Lindsay’s biggest solo hit was “Arizona,” which reached #10 in February 1970. The handsome, dark-haired singer was a regular in many of the teen magazines of the era.
Lindsay detailed the entire episode on his Facebook page:
Well, kids, I’m very sorry to tell you that I’ll have to miss the dates in Iowa on 9/29 and in Washington on 10/13. Right now I’m feeling better than I have in 6 months, but that’s due to my shiny new Medtronic pacemaker that I was suddenly introduced to on Wednesday afternoon.
I’d felt a bit foggy, tired, and out of breath on tour this summer, and I’d had a few dizzy episodes on stage. When I got back home, I went in for a physical and was sent for blood work and a stress test.
So on Wednesday morning as Deb was driving me to the hospital for that, I passed out (scaring the crap out of her of course) and ended up in the ER. After being hooked up to a heart monitor, and after they saw my heart rate drop to ZERO a few times, I was put in an ambulance and rushed to a large cardiac center…where I spent a couple of hours getting that 2018 digital upgrade to my circa 1942 analog heart wiring.
Watch Paul Revere & the Raiders perform “Kicks”
I’m surprisingly not very sore, but I can’t be at all active (like moving my arms much or expanding my chest to sing) for the next 6 weeks, until the new lead wires are fully integrated into my heart muscle. But it sure is nice to have my brain getting its full share of oxygen and blood vs the 30-40% it apparently was getting recently.
On the very bright side, all the tests show my heart is healthy and it’s just a matter of my wiring shorting out. Sure glad it did the big short when I was close to the hospital!
On a slightly side note, when the cardiologist introduced himself to me, he said it wasn’t the first time we’d met. Huh??? In the “small world” department, it turns out he played guitar in a band that opened for the Raiders in 1965. “I sure hope I was nice to you!” I quipped, and he said I was. Good thing, baby!
PS Rock and roll does keep you young, but when you need that spare part or system update, go for it. If a guy whose biological readout is like someone in his 40s, with a BMI of 22, and who can still kick over his head isn’t afraid to admit needing a new spark plug, you shouldn’t be either.
See you out on the that road soon, and thanks for understanding ~ Mark 
Related: Our recap of one of the 2018 “Happy Together” concerts
Watch Lindsay perform “Arizona” in 2018
On September 26, Lindsay added, in part: “I’m really overwhelmed by all of your well-wishes – thank you from the bottom of my heart! I’m looking forward to a less exciting week than last one and getting back on a full work schedule soon.
“Saw my cardiologist yesterday for one of several checkups to come in the next few weeks, and my reports are all excellent so far.”
Related: Our 2019 interview with Mark Lindsay on “Indian Reservation”
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