LITTLE RICHARD - LITTLE RICHARD'S HEALTH SCARE

LITTLE RICHARD'S HEALTH SCARE

Rock icon LITTLE RICHARD recently underwent an emergency heart procedure after falling ill ahead of a hip replacement operation.
The 75-year-old began suffering chest pains on 9 September (08) as he prepared to go under the knife in Los Angeles for the planned surgery - prompting doctors to cancel the hip replacement and perform an angioplasty, to widen a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel.
A friend tells the National Enquirer that the star - real name Richard Wayne Penniman - was too scared to go through with the hip surgery, and flew home to Tennessee.
The pal says, "Richard's been in poor health for a while. He can barely walk, often uses a wheelchair and uses an oxygen tank to help his breathing.
"The morning of surgery, Richard began suffering chest pains and the hip surgery had to be cancelled. Instead of doctors working on his hip, he had angioplasty."
A representative for the star confirmed Richard's health scare, and revealed the hip surgery has been rescheduled for November (08).