T. G. Sheppard Almost Died: He Thanks God For Bringing Him Through

By Timothy Yap Jan 06, 2016 04:48 PM EST

T. G. Sheppard is one of country music's most popular artists. With 21 #1 hits, he's known for songs such as "Last Cheaters Waltz", "I Loved 'Em Everyone"," Do You Wanna Go To Heaven", and "Party Time." But Sheppard is also a man of great sturdy Christian faith. In fact, it was his faith in God that led him through a heart attack he had a few years ago.

It's only recently, Sheppard opens up regarding his bout with a heart attack that almost killed him. Speaking to the Boot, he says: "I died a few years ago. I actually died five times in two weeks. I came in off our tour and got off the bus. Was terribly ill. Felt great until I got home, and then I told [my wife] Kelly [Lang], 'I'm really not doing well. Something is wrong.' So she rushed me to the ER at Vanderbilt.

"Five minutes after being there, I was in the intensive care, close to a massive heart attack and stroke," he continues. "I had a blood infection that had gone into my heart and destroyed the electrical part of my heart, and I was gone."

The health scare made Sheppard realize the important of God and faith: "You suddenly realize that when you come that close to dying, that there's a greater purpose in life for you," the 71-year-old muses. "So, that's very traumatic for me. But it took dying to really realize that importance of life and what it's all about."

Last year, T.G. Sheppard released his brand new album Legendary Friends & Country Duets. The album features duets by the country veteran with icons like George Jones, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Crystal Gayle, Lorrie Morgan and many more. Legendary Friends & Country Duets, released via Cleopatra Records, is available on iTunes, Amazon, and in music retailers nationwide.

"It was such an honor to have this multitude of iconic artists joining me on this new album. Every singer always looks for validation in their career, and after recording with these legends and friends, I have finally been validated," said T.G. Sheppard. "Singing with each artist was truly a magical moment in my career."

The late, great George Jones collaborates with Sheppard on "It's a Man Thing," which happens to be one of The Possum's final studio sessions. "This album has so much sentimental value to me. Not only because T.G. was a dear friend to George, but also because 'It's a Man Thing' is one of George's last recordings. It's a beautiful project," Nancy Jones said.

Recently releasing a single to country radio, the smooth track of "100% Chance of Pain," features vocal contributions from B.J. Thomas and Country Music Hall of Fame member Jimmy Fortune. Each artist brings their own signature style to the song, making it one of the standout tracks from Legendary Friends & Country Duets. Fortune said, "When T.G. asked me to record on this project, I was honored. The song had an Orbison-feel to it, and when I found out that it would feature BJ Thomas, I was even more excited."