Ice Storm Ravages Nashville: Country Artists Among Tens of Thousands Still Without Power
Several artists were forced to seek refuge outside their homes as conditions worsened.
Mitchell Tenpenny, Meghan Patrick; Photo via Instagram, Powerlines; Photo via NES on X
Country artists across Music City are among the tens of thousands impacted by the ice storm that swept through Middle Tennessee over the weekend of Saturday, Jan. 24, and Sunday, Jan. 25. As of Thursday morning, more than 90,000 Nashville Electric Service (NES) customers remain without power, despite NES crews restoring electricity to approximately 140,000 homes and businesses.
Artists including Lauren Watkins, Meghan Patrick, Mitchell Tenpenny, Maddie & Tae’s Maddie Font, HARDY, Jessie James Decker, Drew Baldridge, Erin Kinsey, Levi Hummon, Sheryl Crow, Russell Dickerson, Maren Morris, and others have shared updates about enduring days without electricity, with many now entering their fifth day in the dark amid ongoing freezing temperatures.
On Thursday morning, Meghan Patrick revealed that temperatures inside her home had dropped to 41 degrees and that she had been advised their power may not be restored for “another week.”
“Thank God for good friends giving us a safe, warm place to stay,” she wrote. “Praying for those spending money they don’t have on hotels or riding it out.”
James Otto, known for his hit “Just Got Started Lovin’ You,” was also affected by the widespread outages and damage left behind by the storm.
“We are going on our fourth day without power here in my part of Nashville,” Otto shared. “As a veteran of many North Dakota and Washington state winters, I’ve seen a ton of bad storms, but the widespread devastation from this ice storm is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. The amount of downed trees and massive limbs breaking off from the weight of the ice is crazy. Virtually every yard in my neighborhood has severe damage. I’m hoping that we’re getting close to having power back, but who knows. I’m grateful for all the crews out there cleaning up fallen trees and the linemen working to get us back online.”
Several artists were forced to seek refuge outside their homes as conditions worsened. RaeLynn stayed with Summer Pardi, while HARDY and his wife, Caleigh, relocated to a local hotel. Drew Baldridge shared that his family is currently staying with his manager while they wait for power to be restored.
“We’re right now going on day five of no power at our house,” Baldridge said. “We’ve been to a couple friends’ houses, and right now we are staying at my manager’s house, which has power, which is amazing. But there are so many people all over Nashville who are staying in their homes. Their homes are 40 degrees. Mine is currently like 43 right now. We were there this morning—still no power. Just sending out thoughts and prayers to everybody out there that’s struggling in the Nashville area and all around the country. This ice storm has really put us down.”
The outages have also disrupted local live music staples, including the iconic Bluebird Cafe, which remains without power. In a social media update, the venue shared that the storm resulted in the loss of food stored in coolers, and restocking the kitchen will “take time.”
Teresa Broyles-Aplin, CEO and President of Nashville Electric Service, released a statement early Thursday acknowledging the “significant hardship” the prolonged outages have caused for residents.
“This storm was unprecedented for Nashville and our country, affecting almost half of the U.S. Its icy layers caused widespread damage across our service area to transmission lines, substations and distribution networks,” she wrote. “At this storm’s peak, 230,000 Nashvillians were without power, the largest number ever. Today, we have less than 90,000 homes remaining without electricity.NES has brought in partners from around the country to engage additional available, qualified crews.”
Broyles-Aplin added that power is expected to be restored to thousands more households over the next two days; however, “for many, power will not be restored through the weekend or longer.”
Despite the challenges, the community has stepped up in true Nashville fashion. Local businesses like Edley’s Bar-B-Que are offering free meals to those impacted by the storm.
As Tim McGraw recently shared, “Woke up to the damage across Nashville this morning and my heart sank. So grateful our family is safe, but I know a lot of folks are hurting—homes damaged, power out, trees down. If you need help, ask. If you can help, go. That’s how Nashville works. We take care of our own.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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