Smugglers bassist Beez suffers heart attack

Smugglers bassist and Beauticians lead singer Kevin Beesley-Hammond, known to many simply as "Beez", suffered a heart attack on the afternoon of Saturday June 4th. He is expected to make a full recovery. We received this report on the incident:

Beez had just gotten off the ice at the North Shore Ice Sports Arena in North Vancouver, BC, having just played a hockey game with his team, the Vancouver Flying Vees. While seated in the locker room with the rest of his teammates, Beez complained that he was feeling abnormal pain and numbness in his arms and chest. Luckily, the Vees have a doctor on their roster ("Flowin'" Kevin Rowan) who immediately noticed tell-tale heart attack warning signs. Smugglers bandmate and Vees teammate Grant Lawrence called 911, and soon Beez was under the attention of six paramedics and firemen on the floor of the locker room. Beez was administered oxygen and nitroglycerin, and once stabilized, was rushed by ambulance to the Emergency Room of Lion's Gate Hospital.

Shortly thereafter, Beez was transferred to Saint Paul's Hospital in downtown Vancouver for a surgical angiograph, which revealed 100% blockage of an artery that creates blood flow to the arms and shoulders. The blockage was removed, and a titanium stent was surgically inserted to permanently keep the artery open. Beez was then transferred back to Lion's Gate Hospital where he is currently recovering.

While still a little shocked at what exactly went down, Beez is in fine spirits and is "feeling great". He'll be taking a couple of weeks off and expects to be back at work at Mint Records soon.

For the record, the Flying Vees won the game 6-3.

Contact information for for any get-well wishes can be found below.

You can get in touch with Beez c/o Mint at:

Mint Records
PO Box 3613
Vancouver, BC
V6B 3Y6

Email contacts are on the band and label's websites.