Country music legend Willie Nelson will be postponing his concert tour for the rest of the month following an accident in which the tour bus carrying members of his band lost control and crashed. The bus was travelling in a storm and apparently spun out on an icy spot, crashing into a bridge abutment in Texas in the early hours just before the sun rose. Police reports and statements from members of the band indicate that there were three injuries to band members.
The eighty year old music legend, who has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor, was not on board the bus at the time of the accident, as he was travelling aboard another tour bus. But five of his band members were and three were sent to the hospital following the crash. Though none of the injuries were considered serious the band was shaken up. One member cracked a rib, one had a bruised hip and the third injured his ankle.
Injured in the accident were Paul English, Billy English and Tom Hawkins.
Nelson announced the accident and condition of his bandmates via his Facebook page, and informed his fans that the remaining concert dates in November would be cancelled but that in December their show schedule would resume. A comment released by his publicist stated, “They’ll take a few dates off and then they’ll be on the road again.” It is expected that the group will next perform in Las Vegas in mid-December, followed by a performance in Temecula, California.
The bus accident happened following a concert in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and took place eighty miles northeast of Dallas, outside of Sulfur Springs Texas on Interstate 30. The conditions were described as difficult, and the Department of Public Safety said that there were both heavy rains and winds. The incident is being blamed on road conditions, which were icy, and is not believed to be under investigation.
The band was scheduled to perform next at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, but that show along with four others were included in the cancellation. Nelson’s band performs approximately 150 shows per year.