Bach Norwood was at a regular gig at an Azle church last month when he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Without warning, the 27-year-old University of North Texas student suffered a spontaneous pneumo-thorax. His lung had collapsed.

Not only did the musician get a three-day stay in the hospital, complete with anesthesia and a chest tube, he got a lifelong suspension from being anywhere near cigarette smoke.

For a musician who plays regular gigs in North Texas — many of them in bars full of music lovers with a smoking habit — this was life-altering news.

“Two doctors said I could never be around smoke again,” Norwood said. “One of them wasn’t so nice about it. He said: ‘If you smoke. You’ll die.’ Another doctor in Southlake put it a little nicer. He said there is a chance my lung will collapse again. He said if I smoke, there’s a 70 percent chance it will collapse again.”

On top of hospital bills that exceed $13,000, Norwood would have to approach his live performances a lot differently. While Austin and New York clubs have gradually gone smoke-free, North Texas hasn’t.

Norwood’s friends have already stepped up to help with his hospital costs. Andy Cooper, a member of Le Not So Hot Klub du Denton, organized a gala benefit at Dan’s Silverleaf on Friday night. The band will share the evening with the Argyle Wind Quintet, which makes its debut on Friday; the UNT Faculty Jazz Trio with Fred Hamilton, Jon Murphy and Ed Soph; Brave Combo; and Paul Slavens.

Before his illness, Norwood played upright bass with Denton musician Paul Slavens during his Monday-night gigs at Dan’s Silverleaf in Denton. He plays with the J.R. Byrd Band, Robert Gomez, Le Not So Hot Klub and he’s jammed with Brave Combo.

“I’ve learned so much from these musicians,” Norwood said. “It means so much to know how much these people care about me. It’s kind of incredible how it all worked out, that all these people would be free on Friday night and Dan’s had a cancellation.”

As Norwood sets about adapting to life as a musician who must avoid smoke, he also makes a life for himself without health insurance, which many working, self-employed musicians can’t afford.

“I was insured under my parents’ plan until I was 25,” he said. “I was going to get around to looking into insurance, and here I am two years later. I’m 27 and immortal. But it is expensive. When you weigh the cost of health insurance with the cost of housing and other expenses, most musicians, myself included, have to make a difficult choice.”

Norwood will perform Friday with Slavens, and he’ll sit in a song or two with Brave Combo.