Garth Brooks has urged his peers not to be afraid to return to the stage after the Las Vegas festival massacre on Sunday night (October 1), insisting the show must go on.
Almost 60 country music fans were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire on the audience at the Route 91 Harvest Festival as Jason Aldean performed.
The headliner has cancelled the upcoming California leg of his U.S. tour as a mark of respect for the victims, but Brooks, who plays his first show since the tragedy in Indiana on Thursday night (October 5), has advised the rest of the country music world to get up onstage for their fans.
“Here’s the deal, this has been rough,” Brooks says in a new Facebook Live video. “I can’t imagine what went on out West. And I can’t imagine the artists that have gigs tonight. And I know you’re probably wondering what to do. Here’s my advice: The show must go on. It just does.”
“When things go bad, doctors go to work. When things go bad, policemen go to work. When things go bad, music and musicians go to work. They (fans) need you,” he adds. “Things have gone bad and they need music and the power of that healing.”
Meanwhile, Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott and her husband, Chris Tyrrell, led the band in prayer before performing in Manchester, England on Wednesday (October 4) – their first show since the deadly mass shooting.
“We just wanted to take a second to just formally, and just with unity, acknowledge what happened a couple of days ago, and how all of us here are dealing with it,” pregnant Scott said in an emotional Instagram video she posted on Thursday.
“We know people who were there and everybody onstage, offstage in Vegas, and being so far away from home. We’re not going to live in fear. This is a safe space because we’re all here together, and because not only have I and our family and so many people here – and so many people we don’t even know – have prayed for us before we got here. If you all don’t mind just grabbing hands and let’s say a prayer. I’m going to let Chris do it because I’m not going to be able to get through it.”
Tyrrell prayed for the band and their fans’ safety, while also taking a moment to pay tribute to those who were affected by the Manchester Arena bomb attack in May.
More than 20 people lost their lives when a terrorist detonated a bomb in the foyer of the venue as Ariana Grande fans left the singer’s concert.
“We feel the weight of that, and just ask that you would speak to people’s hearts and you’d continue to bring peace to those grieving over what happened here a few months ago,” the drummer said.
“Pray for Vegas” flashed across the screen as Tyrrell’s prayer ended.
Lady Antebellum previously took to social media on Monday (October 2) to share their thoughts and feelings after learning about the tragedy in Las Vegas.
“I can’t believe this is real life,” Scott tweeted, while bandmate Charles Kelley added: “My heart is sick over the news in Las Vegas. Praying 4 everyone in the country community & everyone at the scene.”
