Jesse McReynolds home after latest hospital stay

Jesse McReynolds returning home from the hospital (11/29/18)

Bluegrass mandolin icon Jesse McReynolds is home again after yet another brief hospital stay. He has been forced to endure several such visits over the past 14 months, dealing with infections that resulted from a serious health scare that nearly took him from us in September of 2017.

His wife, Joy, shared this update with us earlier today.

“It’s a little over a year since Jesse had a ruptured aneurysm that almost killed him. He’s been dealing with a nagging complication from that trauma ever since. The doctors have tried all sorts of antibiotics, but nothing has worked.

They decided to put Jesse in the hospital where they could administer an antibiotic intravenously. They say that his blood work showed real improvement with the new antibiotic, so they let him come home. So right now we are just trying to get him better.

Jesse said sometimes it seems like the side effects of antibiotics are worse than the problem. So we are just trying to sort it out and do what’s best for him to get back on track, and be able to get out and play music again – where he would most love to be.”

Wonderful news, and best wishes to Jesse as he regains his strength at home.

Now 89 years old, McReynolds is undoubtedly among our most senior statesmen of bluegrass. His lifetime of music, both with his late brother as Jim & Jesse, and since Jim’s passing as a solo performer, Jesse’s impact on the music is indescribably vast. From showing the bluegrass world a new way to play the mandolin, mimicking the forward roll sound Earl Scruggs got on the banjo, to the dozens of classic songs he has written, Jesse has been enlarging and improving the music since 1947.

Anyone wanting to send a card or get-well message card can direct them to:

PO Box 1385
Gallatin, TN 37066

Get well soon, Jesse!

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.