Trace Adkinsthe beloved country singer, reflects on the infamous 1994 incident with his then-wife, Julie Curtis. Decades after he was shot during a domestic dispute, the 64-year-old detailed his near-death experience after the bullet grazed his heart and lungs. While arguing about his drinking habits, his ex-wife pulled the trigger as he tried to disarm her. Afterward, he underwent open-heart surgery and was only saved because the bullet traveled at “point-blank speed.”Here’s a closer look at Trace Adkins and his 1994 incident with his former wife, Julie Curtis.Trace Adkins and Julie Curtis, who married in 1991, separated in 1994 after the fatal incident. The ‘Rough & Ready’ singer opened up about the day, admitting things went too far during his appearance on ‘This Past Weekend with Theo Vaughan‘podcast. “That wasn’t necessary. That was totally unnecessary. just leave Let’s leave it, and we don’t have to go that far,” reflected the singer.Adkins never pressed charges against her, believing that Curtis never realized the seriousness of holding the gun, and forgave her actions, according to PEOPLE. “I’d never seen him hold a gun, I’d never seen him shoot a gun. I knew he had one, but I’d never seen him use it,” the ‘Arlington’ singer said, adding: “I don’t think he knew what was about to happen when he pulled that trigger. He thought it was a toy.”Recalling the events leading up to the fatal incident, Adkins mentioned that Curtis wanted him to leave, which he refused to do. During the argument, she put the gun under his left arm. When he fired, the bullet exited directly under his right arm after passing through his heart and lungs. After being airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the country singer underwent emergency open-heart surgery.“It was a fatal shot. And the doctor said the only reason I survived was because the bullet went through muzzle velocity, muzzle velocity, so it didn’t have time to mushroom,” Adkins recalled, explaining, “If it hadn’t been for that Life Flight and Vanderbilt Medical Center, I wouldn’t be here.”
About Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins released his debut album ‘Dreamin’ Out Loud’ in 1996 and recently married the actress Victoria Pratt in 2019 in a ceremony officiated by Blake Shelton. Aside from Julie Curtis, he was previously linked to Barbara Lewis and Rhonda Forlaw.