ABC/Image Group LA George Strait is mourning the loss of his longtime drummer Michael A. Kennedy, who was killed in a traffic accident over the holiday weekend. The 59-year-old’s vehicle collided with a tractor trailer on I-40 in Nashville on Friday, according to the Tennessean.
Kennedy had played drums in Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band for nearly three decades.
“Hard to put into words how much Mike’s passing has affected us all,” Strait posted on Instagram, along with photos of Kennedy behind his drum kit.
“Our hearts are broken. It’s going to be very strange not being able to look over and see him there in his spot on stage and very emotional as well I’m sure for all of us and also his fans.”
“The band will never be the same,” the Country Music Hall of Famer went on. “A part of us is gone forever. We all loved Mike and will miss him terribly. He was just as solid a friend to us all as he was a drummer, and that was damn solid.”
“Our hearts and prayers are with his family,” he closed. “The Lord has him now. Rest In Peace my friend.”
Strait’s next dates are December 7 and 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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