We still can’t get over this.
We were deeply saddened when we learned that a stage collapsed (above) on Saturday night at the Indiana State Fair, killing and injuring crowdmembers who were in attendance to see Sugarland perform.
Now, we’re hearing that the main reason the band wasn’t on stage at the time of the disaster was thanks to tour manager Hellen Rollens who held them backstage due to the weather.
Here’s what band manager Gail Gellman had to say about it:
“There was no running out anywhere. No one knew what happened. It was just the moment when your eyes get big.”
“As a tour manager, it’s super important to understand what the weather conditions are when you play outside. We’ve always talked about not putting the band on during wind, lightning or heavy rain.”
“Everybody was standing in a prayer circle getting ready to go onstage, and Hellen, as she was walking down the ramp, the stage fell. So her decision to hold them for literally a minute saved every band member and crew’s life.”
We’re just glad they weren’t on stage at the time of the collapse.
We wish everyone who was injured a speedy and full recovery, and our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the loved ones of those were lost during this tragic event.