Former SNOT And SEVENDUST Guitarist SONNY MAYO Undergoes Emergency Triple Bypass Surgery After A Heart Attack

A Meal Train fundraiser has been launched for former SNOT and SEVENDUST guitarist Sonny Mayo, who recently suffered a heart attack and is recovering after undergoing emergency triple bypass heart surgery.

Organizer Megan Wright wrote: "Our dear friend Sonny suffered a heart attack and had a life saving triple bypass surgery. Please support Lara and Sonny while he recovers over the next couple months. The first month home will be full time care taking for Lara and will be the highest risk for infections and sickness so bringing meals to them will support his recovery tremendously! If you can't bring a meal please continue to cover them in prayer!"

A heart bypass surgery, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, is used to improve blood flow to the heart. A surgeon uses blood vessels taken from another area of the body to bypass the damaged arteries.

The term triple bypass refers to the number of coronary arteries bypassed in the procedure. In other words, a triple bypass means three coronary arteries are bypassed.

Back in 2018, Mayo was diagnosed with a genetic coronary artery disease after suffering two heart attacks over the previous several years. He then decided to try a new form of treatment in 2019: stem cell therapy.

After experiencing unpleasant side effects from heart medications, Sonny was introduced to stem cell therapy through listening to a Joe Rogan podcast. Raising money through GoFundMe, he was able to take a trip to Panama and receive stem cell therapy which had not yet been legal in the United States.

Mayo left SNOT in April 2025, just three months after the reactivated band played its first gig. The news of Mayo's departure was broken by SNOT guitarist Mikey Doling who said that Mayo "decided to quit SNOT" because "SNOT doesn't fit into his life right now, and he just wants to focus on himself and his life. And SNOT's just too busy for him to be able to continue." Mayo has since been replaced by Doc Coyle of GOD FORBID and BAD WOLVES fame.

Mayo was fired from SEVENDUST in March 2008 — just one week prior to the release of the group's "Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow" album, which he wrote and recorded with the Atlanta-based band. He was replaced by SEVENDUST's original guitar player, Clint Lowery, who was previously with the group from their inception in 1995 until December 2004.

Mayo was in SEVENDUST for three years — long enough to appear on three of the band's full-length albums: "Next" (2005) on the now-defunct Winedark Records; "Alpha" (2007) on 7Bros. Records, SEVENDUST's wholly owned label through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group; and the aforementioned "Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow" which came out in April 2008 on 7Bros/Asylum.