Robert Fripp Recovers From Two Emergency Medical Procedures

Robert Fripp, the iconic guitarist and creative mind behind King Crimson, recently revealed that he suffered a heart attack earlier this year. At 78, Fripp was prepping for a performance in Italy when chest pain he thought was “acid reflux” turned out to be something far more serious.

Fripp said:

“I’d been suffering what I considered to be acid reflux for a couple of weeks before.
“It felt a little more, but I thought I’d get over it.” He flew from England to Italy on April 6, expecting to push through the discomfort. But after landing, his team insisted on a trip to the cardiac hospital in Bergamo.

“You’ve Got 500 of Them”

Fripp admitted he thought doctors would send him away with antacids. Instead, he got a shock. “I was in A&E thinking, ‘Oh, they’re going to give me a prescription for acid reflux,’” he said. But the doctor told him, “You’re supposed to have 10 of these but you’ve got 500 of them.” This likely referred to his troponin levels—a clear sign of a heart attack. It turned out Fripp had experienced a silent heart attack two weeks earlier and had no idea.

His wife, Toyah Willcox, confirmed in their Upbeat Moments video that Fripp underwent five hours of surgery, followed by a stay in intensive care and a second procedure. She praised his medical team:

“They were keeping us informed literally every hour; they were so on top of it.”

Fripp even found some humor in the chaos. At one point, he started undressing when asked about his meal preferences due to the language barrier. “He doesn’t speak Italian,” Toyah laughed. “So he kept stripping off when he was actually being asked what he wanted to eat!”

Back on His Feet (and Back on Stage)

Despite everything, Fripp managed to perform in the church concert that brought him to Italy in the first place, alongside 124 members of The League of Crafty Guitarists. “You went to work!” Toyah teased. “No, dear, I went to play with my friends!” he replied.

Fripp joked about being shaved by hospital staff before surgery, not realizing it was to reduce infection risks. “My husband has never had anything wrong with him,” Toyah said. “He’s only had one hospital stay—when he was 22!”

Recovery and a Cautionary Message

Fripp is now on lifelong medication and adjusting to a new health routine, which he expects to have sorted within a couple of months. Still, he’s grateful to be here. “I’m a very happy fortunate man,” he shared. He ended with a warning to others:

“If you think you have heartburn or acid reflux, really look into it – it might be something more.”

Fans can breathe a sigh of relief—Fripp is on the mend, cracking jokes, and still finding time to “play with his friends.”

Check out this video of Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox talking about his recent heart attack: