Country Singer Ashley Cooke Diagnosed With Rare Genetic Heart Disorder

The 28-year-old singer suffers from Brugada syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes irregular heart rhythms.

Ashley Cooke performs onstage at Spotify House at CMA Fest 2025 - Day 3 at Ole Red on June 7, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. Rick Kern/Getty Images for Spotify

Breakout country star Ashley Cooke has been diagnosed with a rare and potentially life-threatening genetic heart condition known as Brugada syndrome.

The 28-year-old singer, whose debut album, “Shot in the Dark,” was released in 2023, discussed her “terrifying” health struggles in a July 13 interview with Taste of Country.

“A lot of my family members have passed away unexpectedly, very healthy and very young, from it. So it’s very scary,” she said.

The most unsettling aspect about her disorder, Cooke noted, is that it doesn’t impact her day-to-day life.

“That’s the scary part of Brugada syndrome,” she said. “It just feels like a ghost around you. Because there’s no warning signs, no symptoms. It’s just one of those things where all of a sudden one day, this certain thing in your heart can just stop, and you’re just gone.”

According to Cedars Sinai, Brugada syndrome causes the heart’s lower chambers to beat irregularly. This inhibits blood flow throughout the rest of the body, potentially leading to dizziness, fainting, and even sudden death, which often occurs while a person is sleeping.

Brugada syndrome is quite rare, affecting roughly five out of every 10,000 people. Although the disease can arise at any age, it is most commonly diagnosed at around the age of 40.

Earlier this month, Cooke, who took home the trophy for “Breakthrough Female Video of the Year” at the 2024 CMT Music Awards, detailed some of the health challenges that she and her family had faced in the past year.

In a July 7 TikTok video, the singer shared that her mother had suffered a heart attack about four months prior. Her father was diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time, and both of her grandmothers passed away within a few months of each other.

“All this happened while I was on tour,” she said. “Like, amazing career year, and terrible personal life year.”

Cooke said her mother had been admitted back into the hospital for chest pains.

“Which is concerning for somebody that just had a heart attack ... and had a stent put in,” she said. “We’re just kinda waiting on answers, so send up some prayers.”

The “Your Place” singer took to Instagram last fall to share a song she wrote shortly after the passing of her maternal grandmother, writing that her death had “truly shaken” her to her core.

“All the memories explode like a hand grenade,” the lyrics say. “And it’s sweet and it’s bitter, grief it’s like glitter, oh what a mess it makes.”