Words are still hard to come by, emotions and unfamiliar feelings are flooding our hearts and souls and trying to process the horrific tragedy at the Rt. 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on Sunday night (October 1st) is still something that we can’t quite do and which will affect us the rest of our lives. The Country Music family, community, fans and friends around the world have been shaken to the core by the devastating carnage from Sunday night.
It has taken days for me to post the following:
Eric Church performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Wednesday night (October 4th) and spoke eloquently and passionately about Sunday’s shooting in Las Vegas. He was one of the headliners at the Route 91 Harvest Festival and painted the picture of the fans who attended the festival. He dedicated “Why Not Me,” a song he wrote this week, to Sonny Melton, the Paris, Tennessee man who died protecting his wife from the bullets that were being sprayed into the crowd of festivalgoers. Check out the videos below.
While he performed “Here On Earth” the other morning for a national radio show, he’s also healing folks by talking to them and really listening to them, as well as giving much needed blood to the American Red Cross.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1oFBsBNdC/?taken-by=dierksbentley
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv-ybyBNni/?taken-by=davehaywoodla
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv53g7AAnW/?taken-by=littlebigtown
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwiG_WlbuE/?taken-by=ericpaslay
https://twitter.com/ladyantebellum/status/915894375963549697
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv-lGSD_Yp/?taken-by=lukebryan
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv8EXUnfq6/?taken-by=eastoncorbin
https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/914849889883914241
https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/914749315712786432
https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/914753059942789120
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZvr-qYB–i/?taken-by=maddieandtae
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZw4F-PA725/?taken-by=canaansmith
https://twitter.com/MickeyGuyton/status/914793405917605888
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwORJcDgqs/?taken-by=samhuntmusic
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwFZiVjj4z/?taken-by=samhuntmusic
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZroEAlFpFr/?taken-by=karenfairchild
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZw8hDCD4Rc/?taken-by=ohgussie
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZxeP_5HnSp/?taken-by=jonpardipics
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1HQ4On0Vo/?taken-by=chrisstapleton
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwsEpVHTae/?taken-by=chrisstapleton
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZv86RODLVu/?taken-by=jordandavisofficial
Keith Urban (Candlelight Vigil) OC: …in the world. 1:23
“I I want to firstly offer the prayers and love of my whole family to everybody affected by last night’s horrific tragedy. I started this morning by finding out about it, and being shell-shocked all morning getting my kids ready for school. And our nine-year-old, as I was driving her to school this morning, said to, ‘Dad, you seem quiet.’ I said, ‘Yeah, it was a lot of people killed last night.’ She said, ‘Did you know any of them?’ I said, ‘Not that I know of.’ Then she said, ‘Well, why are you so sad?’ I said, ‘Well, first of all, these were innocent people horrifically taken. Secondly, they’re like family.’ It’s the one thing about country music that’s always been at the center of it. It is community. It’s about community. So, I did know those people in that way, and it just really hit me. I feel very grateful for this moment tonight to be able to put some light in the world.”
Vince Gill (Candlelight Vigil) OC: …innocent people. :17
“Thank you for the opportunity to come and lift up 58 families who lost somebody last night. An honor to be here as a voice for the innocent. May we never lose our voice for innocent people.”
Amy Grant (Candlight Vigil) OC: …each other. Amen. 2:21
“Father in Heaven, thank you for the gift of each other. Thank you that none of us is born alone or dies alone. But you go before us and beneath us and beside us and within us. Thank you for loving arms that were there to catch every fallen child, man and woman. Thank you for your presence that never leaves us. Thank you for word said over and over again, ‘Fear not.’ ‘Fear not.’ Father, in silence, we lift up, we just imagine all of the people rebuilding their lives. Broken. Grieving. And as a group, I don’t even know how to imagine lifting them all up, but I’m just picturing us almost like slinging them on our backs, lifting them up in our arms to the light of your love. We lift them up now, God, in silence. We lift up grieving spouses, God. We lift up moms and dads grieving the loss of a child, a son and a daughter. We lift up the doctors and nursing attending to the hundreds of people recovering. Give us the grace, God, every day, to see each other. To see each other. To see our differences. To see our similarities. To observe. To learn rather than judge. Fill our hearts with courage to not be afraid. To love, love, love. Thank you that you began this story that we’re all a part of, and you will finish it. And it began in love, and it will end in love. Thank you for the gift of each other. Amen.”
