Country superstar Brad Paisley is one of hundreds of Nashville singers, musicians and tour company owners who have lost millions of dollars in tour gear due to the flood.
Paisley was to start rehearsals for his upcoming H2O Tour when the rain inundated the city. His staging, props, most of his guitars, amps and equipment were destroyed. However, his favorite guitar was spared.
Paisley is looking for replacement equipment and a suitable practice area. His opening tour date is in two weeks in Virginia Beach.
“I sent a Tweet the other day that basically told people that when they come to the show just know that what you’re seeing has been fully tested underwater,” Paisley said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “You’re talking about total cred. This is the H2O Tour. This isn’t posers acting like we know about it. We’ve done it, buddy.”
According to The Associated Press, an estimated 1,000 musicians and business owners, including Paisley, who store their gear at Soundcheck Nashville, have lost everything. Soundcheck is a storage hub near the Cumberland River that uses “lockers” to store electronics and gear. Owner Ben Jumper said the 160,000 square feet of space he rents out is completely flooded. He predicts the losses will be in the tens of millions.
In addition to Paisley, Little Big Town, Keith Urban and Vince Gill lost their entire collection. A friend of Gill says he may have lost his irreplaceable vintage pieces with historic value. LeAnn Rimes’ road gear is under 3 ½ to eight feet of water, according to her guitarist Ryan Wariner.
Country artists are also mourning the damage of the Grand Ole Opry and several music-themed businesses, including the Country Music Hall of Fame. Fortunately, the wooden cirlce inlaid on the Opry stage from the historic Ryam Auditorium was unharmed.
Paisley said the damage in Nashville and the loss of equipment isn’t stopping him from starting his tour on time. He said his fans deserve it and postponing it would actually be harder than getting through a quick recovery.
"My guitar tech is spending like a broker on the stock exchange floor," he said.
Despite his losses, Paisley said he is staying positive. “Things like this make you really take stock in what you’re given. And this is going to mean so much more than some normal tour that we’re embarking on.”
Source: AP
