'Can't wait to get back out there with y'all' Drake White tweets after medical emergency

White gave 'thumbs up' to fans while leaving in ambulance

ROANOKE, Va. – After a scary medical emergency Friday night at Elmwood Park in Roanoke, country singer Drake White is okay.

Here's what White tweeted Monday afternoon: 

While opening for main act Scotty McCreery Friday night, White suffered an onstage medical emergency and was taken to the hospital by emergency medical technicians.

ORIGINAL STORY

Scotty McCreery rocked Roanoke's Elmwood Park on Friday night, but not before his opening act, Drake White, suffered an onstage medical emergency and was taken to the hospital by emergency medical technicians.

White gave a thumbs-up to fans as he was taken from the venue strapped to a gurney. He later tweeted:

 

McCreery eventually took the stage offering prayers and support for his fellow musician. McCreery's show was the first of the summer concert series at Elmwood Park. Organizers cut the series to two shows this year in favor of bringing in bigger acts.

It was a scorcher of a day leading into the night, but when the sun went down, a moonlit sky became the backdrop for a night of music. Thousands of people came out to the highly anticipated show. McCreery's stage lights filled the sky above Elmwood as the musician belted it out. Up front, fans packed in shoulder to shoulder to cheer their hearts out and welcome McCreery to town.

"This is a perfect atmosphere. You've got everything you need, good tunes, good food, you've got good vibes, it's a great night," attendee Neil Fox said.

McCreery was a big get for Roanoke, which saw Ringo Starr and David Crosby also perform all in the span of just a few days. Ticket sales were strong leading into the show and although official numbers aren't available yet, organizers said there was a big walk-up crowd, too.

"We're super excited to get him. He's got a lot of great energy. He was a former 'American Idol' winner  and a lot of people were really pumped to see him," Downtown Roanoke Inc. Marking Manager Jaime Clark said.

Boots and cowboy hats were the must-haves for the show. Downtown Roanoke Inc. typically does three shows every summer with one big act. This year, it decided to do two big acts, which forced it to cut the series to just two shows, but with bigger headliners.

"Obviously, things come down to dollars and cents, but getting Foreigner was a huge get for Roanoke and for Elmwood Park," Clark said. "So we felt that this was worth limiting at two instead of doing three shows."

The McCreery show continues to put the summer concert series in an upswing as the names coming to a smaller city like Roanoke continue to get bigger. Music fans are thrilled that Elmwood Park is becoming a destination for people they actually want to see perform.

"I've lived in Roanoke my whole life, so to have these amenities here is really awesome," Morgan Smith said. "It feels like a big town, but you get the small-town feel, so we're happy that he's here."

The summer concert series continues with Foreigner. They'll perform at Elmwood Park on Sept. 26.

 


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