Country Music and COVID-19: A Thank You Letter

With so many people focusing on the negativity and uncertainty of the difficult time we currently face, I can’t help but to think on the contrary. Yes, by all means it is easy to be stressed and even afraid of this wild situation that we were put in by no fault of our own, but I think it’s time to take a step back and give some applause. Let’s give applause to a community that has risen above and beyond to make these painful days a little better for all of us.

From the moment we realized that our daily lives were about to change, the country music community did what it has always done in a time of need and stepped up to the plate. Still broken from a tornado that shook Nashville just weeks prior, the country music community wasted no time, quickly springing into action to help those who have been hurt by this invisible enemy. Here are just a few instances of the incredible humanity and philanthropy that country music’s own have shown in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak:

 

  • Kip Moore opened a running tab at a Nashville restaurant to help people in need feed their families.
  • Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman donated $500K to help efforts to fight the virus.
  • Brad and Kimberly Paisley’s free grocery store in Nashville has been delivering supplies to the elderly who cannot leave their homes.

 

And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg…

 

While the charitable efforts by many are unbelievably selfless and inspiring, it was something else that really touched me through all of this. Last Saturday my family and I sat in the living room of my parents’ house and watched a live stream of Marty Stuart, Vince Gill and Brad Paisley play the 4,916st consecutive Saturday night Grand Ole Opry to an empty room. As I looked around I started thinking about how on this night, during one of the toughest/weirdest times in many of our lives, country music still found a way to bring us together. But this is what country music is and has always been about. It has the unbelievable ability to bring people together no matter what terrible phenomenon may come along to try and shut it down. In recent years there have been different attempts to silence the music, but all have failed. Between a cowardly shooter, natural disasters, or in this case a global pandemic, the show has always gone on. I now sit down with my family every night and watch a different artist put on a live stream concert just to entertain us and to take our minds off whatever struggle we may be going through, and I am thankful. I am thankful for all those who refuse to let the music die and continue to try and make the world a better place. Especially those who are not letting their own lives being directly affected stop them from bringing joy to others. So, country music, this is a huge thank you from my family to yours and I look forward to watching you continue to bring light into a dark world.

 

Stay safe, all!

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