I am not a fan of press trips, and back in 2010, when I took one of my last, I was not a big fan of country music. But the two combined to give me a memorable weekend in Nashville.
It was shortly after the city had sustained considerable damage from floods. Vince Gill, performing at the Ryman Auditorium on Friday evening, told the audience that he had lost most of his guitar collection in the floods. He added that his wife, Amy Grant, told him: “Honey, you only need one.” Then for the next two hours he and his friends played bluegrass with an infectious joy.
I returned to the Ryman the following night for the Grand Ole Opry, which had been moved back to its longtime home because of flood damage at Opryland. On the bill was Loretta Lynn. When she came on stage, the audience gave her the welcome of a legend. And when she sang her biggest hit it transcended autobiography and spoke to the assembled of overcoming adversity.
