"Rumours of my impending uselessness are much exaggerated." Robert Fripp responds to well-wishers after heart attack news

King Crimson's Robert Fripp dressed in a white shirt, colourful tie, dark waistcoat and trousers, with one arm outstretched mid-dance. He's photographed backstage in a small white dressing room with his guitar on a table to the left of the photo and a carrier bag of food to the right of the image — (Image credit: Facebook/Toyah & Robert Fripp)

King Crimson's Robert Fripp has responded to an outpouring of well-wishers, following the news that he was recuperating after having suffered a heart attack.

Yesterday we broke the news that Fripp suffered chest pains as he prepared to fly to Italy to perform at an Orchestra Of Crafty Guitarists event at Castione della Presolana in Bergamo, Italy, last month. That turned out to have been a trifurcated artery and he was admitted to intensive care in Italy before undergoing two bouts of emergency surgery, where he had a pair of stents inserted.

Responding to all the comments that have flooded social media from fans since, Fripp posted: "Gratitude to all the many good people who have sent good wishes, privately and publicly. Bless you. Rumours of my impending uselessness are much exaggerated. I'm in great shape and great spirits, and set up for the remainder of my long life. Although - health alert - my Wife has told me that if I piss her off she intends to squeeze my stents. Lunch at The Bridge At Bidford today with Sweetlips Willcox..."

In the same post Fripp and Wilcox also announced that that, less than a week after his surgeries, he was able to direct the Guitar Circle show at Castione della Presolana.

"It was stunning," says Fripp. "The audience were prepped with orchestral manoeuvres and it really was a magical event for me."

Artists

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.