Billy Currington Bassist Credits Instrument with Survival of Storm

On Saturday, Aug. 1, Billy Currington and his band were exiting the stage at the Big Valley Jamboree in Alberta, Canada, as a fast approaching storm threatened to rain on the band members and their equipment.

Alex Stevens, the band's bassist, was halfway down the stairs when a gust of wind hit, his bass slung over his shoulder. "For me, it was like being blind-sided by a bus," Stevens told the Edmonton Journal, and credits his instrument with saving his life.

Stevens was hit with debris from scaffolding and audience seats, but his bass guitar was between Stevens and the onslaught of wreckage. "I'm convinced that if I hadn't been wearing my bass, my pelvis or back would've been crushed or broken," he said.

The bassist suffered a lacerated arm and nerve damage in two of his left fingers. Currington was treated for a minor concussion and released from the hospital. The band has cancelled several upcoming shows, including the Wisconsin State Fair and the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo.

The band weren't the only lucky survivors; Kevin Costner's band, Modern West, were set to take the stage after the Billy Currington set. The band was briefly trapped underneath the stage, injuring the guitarist and road manager. Costner was not injured in the accident.

The unusual storm in Camrose, Alberta, killed one woman and injured more than 75 people.