The musician Dave Edmunds, best known for his 1970 Christmas No 1 “I Hear You Knocking”, is reportedly fighting for his life in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.
On Tuesday (29 July), Edmunds’ wife. Cici, shared on Facebook that her husband had been hit by a “major cardiac arrest” and had briefly “died in my arms,” before medics managed to revive him.
Cici, who lives with her husband in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, said that she kept Edmunds alive by clearing his airways of fluid while a nurse gave him “heavy CPR”. Miraculously, the musician was brought back to life after being intubated by doctors but is still critically ill in hospital.
She added that Edmunds “very clearly has brain damage and severe memory loss” and that the risk of “another major cardiac arrest is high”. Cici said that she believes she has “PTSD from the horrific experience” but asked for his fans to send their “prayers and good wishes”.
Cici concluded her lengthy post by adding: “Dave will have a very long journey ahead of him if he survives. We both have. But knowing that there are kind-hearted people such as you all. Makes this tremendously difficult journey a little easier. Bless you all.”
Edmunds, who was born in Cardiff, first rose to prominence as the frontman of the blues rock band Love Sculpture, who released their debut album Blues Helping in 1968. The band achieved a top five single in the same year with a cover of Khachaturian’s classical movement “Sabre Dance”.
After Love Sculpture broke up, Edmunds would embark on a successful solo career with his debut single, the aforementioned “I Hear You Knocking” reaching number one for Christmas in 1970. The song, which sold more than 3 million copies, was also a hit in the US, where it peaked at number three.
Edmunds would enjoy further hits as a solo artist throughout the 1970s, with singles such as “Baby I Love You”, “Born to Be With You” and “Girl Talk” all entering the top 10 at various stages during the decade.
He also trained to be a music producer and worked with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Stray Cats, Status Quo and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Edmunds also collaborated with Jeff Lynne’s ELO for his 1983 album Information. In 1992 and 2000, he would tour as a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.
