Mel Tillis ‘On the Right Track’ After Recent Surgery

Despite earlier reports that country music legend Mel Tillis was in critical condition following a recent surgery, the singer is "doing fine and on the right track."

Tillis' rep, Don Murry Grubbs, tells the Tennessean that the country star underwent colon surgery at Nashville's Centennial Medical Center on Friday (Jan. 8) -- not on Wednesday, as originally reported -- and while he is still hospitalized, he is "on the road to recovery."

“Doctors said he’s doing fine and on the right track,” Grubbs says. “He’s awake and watching television.”

Fans began to worry after social media started buzzing on Friday (Jan. 15) with news that Tillis was not doing well. Both TG Sheppard and the Oak Ridge Boys were among those who tweeted out requests for prayers for the singer.

"Prayers are really needed," Sheppard wrote, also sharing a photo of himself and Tillis, while the Oak Ridge Boys' tweet noted simply that Tillis is "very ill at this time."

Tony Orlando and Andrew Pope are also among those who expressed their love and support for the country icon.

The 83-year-old Tillis, who rose to fame in the 1970s and was inducted into both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, has been touring regularly recently. He was to be part of the week-long Country Music Cruise, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday (Jan. 16); however, due to this recent surgery, Bobby Bare will replace Tillis in the lineup.

In 2014, Tillis underwent emergency heart surgery.

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