From Reba to Dolly to Blake — country stars react to devastating Nashville tornadoes
Maren Morris and Dierks Bentley were among the country musicians who had close calls from Tuesday morning’s tornadoes in Nashville, which have killed at least 22 people.
The tornadoes went through central Tennessee early Tuesday and one came close to Morris’ home.
“The tornado must have missed our block by an inch because we are alright, but I am so depleted looking at the damage that has happened to our beautiful city,” Morris, who is married to fellow country artist Ryan Hurd, posted on Twitter.
Bentley was in the air when the storm approached Nashville. He said his plane landed at 11:30 p.m. at John C. Tune Airport, which received extensive damage from the tornado shortly thereafter.
“Glad we landed when we did. Wouldn’t have been good an hour later,” said Bentley, who shared video of the storm system on Twitter. “It was the cell that turned into the tornado.”
Other country musicians who live in the Nashville area wrote on Twitter to say they are safe.
“Me and my fam are safe but many friends aren’t so lucky,” Kacey Musgraves said. “We did live right in one of the worst hit spots a matter of months ago. It’s so crazy.”
“We’re okay, but it was a terrible night for many,” Clint Black said.
“Thankful to God that my family is ok after the #nashvilletornado and thinking about folks who lost someone last night,” John Rich wrote.
Carrie Underwood and Garth Brooks, two of the most successful country acts of their generations, spoke on TV about the Nashville tragedy.
“I am not a native son of Nashville, but they have taken me in and treated me like a native son,” Brooks told CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell. “So I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”
Underwood said on “Today” she was In New York City to promote her new book. Her husband took their sons to a safe room at their Nashville home during the tornado, she added.
“Nashville’s a very strong community, and anytime anything like this happens, you just see how strong they are, and how they band together to fix things,” she said.
Kentucky native Chris Stapleton shared a link to donate to the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund. He said he and his wife “are deeply saddened by last night’s tragic events in Tennessee.”
Jason Isbell shared a separate link offering other ways to help, which include donating items to the Community Resource Center.
Other country legends, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Dolly Parton and Tim McGraw, wrote social media posts offering their condolences.
“The iconic ‘I Believe In Nashville’ murals started popping up after the big flood ten years ago” McGraw said. “It’s stood as a symbol of resilience and togetherness. We are heartbroken for our community after last nights tragic tornado, but know that together we will rise up and rebuild again!”
“Praying for all those affected by the devastating storms in Tennessee and my heart is especially with the families who lost loved ones. We are all with you,” Parton wrote.
“Thinking about you #Nashville. Stay strong!!!” Shelton said.
“My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the Nashville area affected by the tornado last night,” McEntire said. “Even if the tornado didn’t hit our personal space, we are all affected because we are all Nashvillians.”
“We’ve been here a long time and it breaks my heart to see everything that (the) tornado touched,” Lynn wrote. “The ones who’ve lost their lives last night, their homes and the injured.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 4:08 PM with the headline "From Reba to Dolly to Blake — country stars react to devastating Nashville tornadoes."