Poco Drummer Has On-Stage Stroke

[TimmyB]

Poco Drummer Has On-Stage Stroke

The drummer for veteran rock band Poco suffered a stroke on stage and collapsed one song into a performance at an outdoor concert last Thursday. The band, which was playing at the free CityBlock Party in downtown Springfield, Mass., had just finished playing its first song when George Grantham, 57, was stricken, the Republican of Springfield reported.

The show was delayed for 10 or 15 minutes while band members asked for help from the audience and several doctors and nurses in the crowd rushed to the stage. Lead singer Rusty Young said Grantham was resting at Baystate Medical Center after emergency surgery to relieve fluid on his brain.

"The doctor just told me this morning (Aug. 2) that they have upgraded George's status from 'stable' to 'improving' which is very good news," his wife Debbie writes on Poco's official Web site. " I just want to thank everyone from George and I for all your prayers and concern. We really appreciate your support. George is not out of the woods yet, but he is making great signs of improvement." Grantham is a founding member of the band and played with Poco on 12 albums from 1969 to 1976.

Poco has tour dates on tap throughout the fall. A show scheduled for Wednesday (Aug. 4) in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is apparently still a go.

My thoughts and prayers go out to George Grantham. I just saw Poco for the first time a little more than a month ago on my birthday at the Tralf in Buffalo. It was a great gig and would definitely see them again. George is a great drummer and has an amazing high tenor voice and sings amazing harmony vocals even at his age.