In late July, a 25-year-old up-and-coming country singer, Abby Nicole, was killed after playing at the Thayer County Fair. She died after a UTV accident.
Country music is part of the soul of Nashville, and incidents like this demonstrate the fragility of life. Here are some other incidents involving country music stars from over the years.
INJURIES ON TOUR
- Billy Currington and one of his band members were both hospitalized after a stage collapse in 2009. They were performing at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta when inclement weather led to the collapse of the stage. Currington suffered a concussion, while his bandmate was trapped under debris and underwent emergency surgery on his arm prior to flying back to Nashville. Nearly 75 people were injured in the incident and one died.
- Brantley Gilbert nearly died in a drunk driving accident when he was 19 years old. He was driving through Georgia when he went off the road. His truck flipped several times and collided with a tree. He survived and gave up drinking.
- Sammy Kershaw and his band and crew were traveling down an interstate at high speed when another vehicle slammed into them. Nearly a dozen motorists were involved in this wreck, but no one was killed. Kershaw himself suffered minor injuries.
- Close call: On the evening of August 13, 2011, the band Sugarland was set to play at the Indiana State Fair. Sara Bareilles had just finished her set and Sugarland was getting ready to take the stage. Four minutes before they were scheduled to begin, inclement weather caused the rigging above the stage to collapse. Four people were killed immediately, three succumbed days later to their injuries and many more were hurt.