In response to Keith Urban's interview on CNN....
nomorefan: The only thing I take from that interview is how horrible the Opryland Hotel looks. Where do you begin to even clean that place?
I was reading some news articles about the flooding, and in the comments many people were saying how sorry they felt for the artists. A person came along and said to not feel sorry for them. If they lost equipment, more than likely it is all fully insured due to traveling and storing it. The only hassle is buying everything again. If they have damage to their homes, again, they have enough cash flow to build a new one. They said start feeling sorry for those victims who didn't have flood insurance and no longer have a home and personal possessions.
There is no depths to how low you'll sink. You and your cohorts don't have a brain cell between you. Nashville isn't just made up of the rich and famous. How many struggling musicians or older musicians are there that keep equipment stored there. How many musicians who are making it but aren't superstars like Urban have their equipment there. And why is it not sad that treasured instruments in general have been lost? No don't feel sorry for the musicians because that means sympathy for Keith. All the destruction and damage costs thousands of jobs. Musicians out of work, clubs flooded out and shut down, whole industries affected....restaurants, tourism. Artists currently touring that are big names have to put jobs on hold because their equipment is lost. Shows canceled and many people beyond the name on the marquis are hurt. Not to mention musicians and songwriters who have property and homes that are destroyed. Not all of them are so well off it's something to be jealous of, which you are when it comes to the Urbans. You all do like to call Nicole Kidman a "rich bitch", remember?
How sick are you skeptics?
Music Community Assesses Damage
The music community in particular was hard hit. When the Cumberland River crested at 52 feet on Monday (May 3), its waters spread through a sizable portion of downtown, affecting a number of structures. Among them were the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Demonbreun, where a lower level flooded and water rose to the third row of seats in the Ford Theatre. Spokesperson Liz Thiels said that none of the Hall's exhibits were threatened. The Hall remained closed at press time.
Down the street at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the basement filled with water and employees said that the interior was otherwise undamaged, although a multi-million-dollar organ and two Steinway Grand Pianos were ruined.
Across the way, on Broadway, the Bridgestone Arena's event floor was covered with two feet of water. Across the river at L.P. Field, home of the Tennessee Titans, the water rose on the playing field almost to the first row of seats. L.P. Field is also the site of the annual CMA Music Festival. CMA chairman Steve Moore said that the annual event, to be held June 10-13 this year, is still on schedule.
Also across the river in East Nashville is Soundcheck Nashville, a huge rehearsal facility. It was submerged, and police will not allow employees back into the building until the Cumberland recedes below flood stage of 40 feet. That is estimated to be Thursday. Only then can they discover how many musical instruments and expensive gear has been ruined.
Nashville's 2nd Avenue establishments were also hit, including the Hard Rock Café and the Wildhorse Saloon, which were forced to close after their basements flooded and they lost power.
Power in downtown Nashville extending west to Fifth Avenue and stretching from Demonbreun to Commerce remained off late Tuesday to a number of buildings, including the CMT building. NES officials said they might be able to begin restoring power by Friday -- failing that, early next week.
Damage was even worse out at the Opryland complex, located on the Cumberland, where the river completely surrounded the massive 3,000-room Opryland Hotel, the Grand Ole Opry House and the Opry museum and Opry Mills shopping mall. The hotel was flooded with between eight and 12 feet of water in some areas. Fortunately all 1,500 hotel guests and another 500 staff members were evacuated before the flooding began. Officials said the hotel might be completely cleaned up and refurbished and able to open by Christmas.
The Grand Ole Opry House had water on its famed stage, and floodwaters almost entirely covered the main floor pews. The building will be closed for an as-yet-undetermined amount of time for repair. The famous Opry stage microphones were saved -- to be used in future shows. Meanwhile, this week's Opry performances were moving to the Ryman Auditorium and War Memorial Auditorium, both former homes of the Opry.
Opry officials said they had not yet been able to estimate what damage was done to the Opry Museum, located in a separate building. All of the Opry's archives are located in that building.
Radio station WSM was forced to moved its studio operations from the Opryland complex to its antenna location on the outskirts of Nashville.
Gaylord was hit so hard that the company announced that it will withdraw reports on its 2010 financial earnings. The hotel alone will lose many large conventions this year.
