Country stars, like those of other musical performs, spend countless hours and untold miles crisscrossing the nation in tour buses and airplanes. Bus accidents and airplane mishap involving artists happen all the time.
Country's Aaron Lewis is safe after a private charter jet he was a passenger on veered off the taxiway Saturday. An error disabled the plane, causing it to leave the taxiway in Warton, Texas, and plow into thick mud alongside the paved surface. The plane became mired in the mud and could not continue on to Lewis' next gig. Had the plane's disabling error occurred during takeoff or landing, the results could have been much worse.
Lewis and been in Texas filming a segment for his TV show "On The Road" for the Sportsman's Channel. He and the television crew were tracking teal duck for the reality hunting show. After the shoot, the flight was to depart for Tulsa, Okla., where Lewis was scheduled to appear that night at the BOK Center as part of Brantley Gilbert's "Let It Ride" tour, Webster & Associates reports.
Lewis's 2011 first solo release, "Town Line," debuted at No.1 on Billboard's Country Album Chart. The first single from that album, "Country Boy," featured the late George Jones and Charlie Daniels. It earned Lewis multiple CMA, ACM and CMT Music Award nominations. As the front man for the multi-platinum-selling band Staind, Lewis is the songwriter and voice behind one of the most-played rock song of the past decade, "It's Been Awhile," in addition to three other No. 1 hits and eight Top-Ten singles.
Even as Lewis expressed relief that he and others onboard the charter flight were uninjured, he was still concerned about the Oklahoma fans he disappointed by not making it to the Tulsa show.
"I'm so glad that we are safe," noted Lewis, "however, I am really sorry that the fans in Tulsa were disappointed and let down with me not making tonight's show. I promise I'll be back to Tulsa soon."
