God Bless The Fans

Fifty-eight people.

You'd never have known a thing about them if Sunday's (10/1) horrific shooting in Las Vegas had never happened. The Route 91 Harvest Festival would have come and gone, and all 58 would have gone back home to their day-to-day routine, anonymous and unnoticed.

They were teachers, nurses, Little League coaches, waiters, bankers, office managers, students, songwriters, a cop, and even a military veteran – who probably never imagined an outdoor Country festival could possibly have been more dangerous than serving his Country overseas.

Fifty-eight people, who came from 12 different states and two countries; three were from Canada. Most (27) were from California, a few hours by car from Las Vegas. Two came from Alaska and Utah, five from Nevada. Most came to the show from the Western U.S., but Massachusetts and Pennsylvania were represented, too, as was West Virginia, Minnesota, Iowa, and Tennessee.

The average age was 38, the youngest being 20 and the oldest 61. Sounds like a pretty typical range for a Country show, eh?

Most of us didn't know any of these 58 people, but we all had something in common with them, and they with each other: everybody shared a love for Country music. They gathered together to enjoy that common passion. They were fans. In that sense, maybe we DID know them, after all.

As I've said previously, the fans are the reason all of us in this business are able to be IN this business. Without them, we have nothing. Radio knows that, and so do artists. Country artists know what the fans mean to them, and therefore, enjoy a special relationship with them, more so than most other, if not ALL other genres. Same for Country radio, which boasts the most passionate, active listeners of any format.

And that's why everyone associated with this format is hurting so much. We're devastated that so many innocent people died. We're sad that our format will always be connected to the worst mass shooting in American history. And we're heartbroken beyond comprehension that the most loyal of all – the people who spent hard-earned money to be at this festival, to travel, and find accommodations – who only wanted to enjoy a few days of the greatest music with people just like them, were lost in such a random, senseless manner.

This column is a tribute to those fans, because they were actually more like family members – part of the large, extended congregation that makes up Country music. God bless all of them and THEIR families. We will keep them in our prayers, always, and try to never forget them.

Hannah Ahlers, 34

Heather Alvarado, 35

Dorene Anderson, 49

Carrie Barnette, 34

Jack Beaton, 54

Steve Berger, 44

Candice Bowers, 40

Demise Burdititus, 50

Sandra Casey, 34

Andrea Lee Ann Castilla, 28

Denise Cohen, 58

Austin Davis, 29

Thomas Day Jr., 54

Christina Duarte, 22

Stacee Etcheber, 50

Brian Fraser, 39

Keri Galvin, 31

Dana Gardner, 52

Angela Gomez, 20

Rocia Guillen, 40

Charlston Hartfield, 34

Chris Hazencomb, 44

Jennifer Topaz Irvine, 42

Teresa Kimura, 38

Jessica Klymchuk, 34

Rhonda LeRocque, 42

Victor Link, 55

Carly Kreibaum, 33

Jordan McLldoon, 23

Kelsey Meadows, 28

Calla-Marie Medig, 28

James "Sonny" Melton, 29

Patricia Mestas, 67

Austin Meyer, 24

Adrian Murfitt, 35

Rachael Parker, 33

Jennifer Parks, 36

Carolyn Lee Parsons, 31

Lisa Patterson, 46

John Phippen, 56

Melissa Ramirez, 26

Jordyn Rivera, 21

Quinton Robbins, 20

Cameron Robinson, 28

Tara Roe, 34

Lisa Romero-Muniz, 48

Chris Roybal, 28

Brett Schwanbeck, 61

Bailey Schweitzer, 20

Laura Shipp, 50

Erick Silva, 21

Susan Smith, 53

Brennan Stewart, 30

Derrick "Bo" Taylor, 56

Neysa Tonks, 46

Michelle Vo, 32

Kurt Vob Tillow, 55

William Wolfe, 42