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HARDY Pays Tribute To His Late Bus Driver

Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group

HARDY paid tribute to his former bus driver and friend Ricky at a show in Texas recently (11/18). During his show in Houston, HARDY dedicated his performance of “Give Heaven Some Hell” after hearing his friend passed away.

He said from the stage, “I never dedicate this song to anybody, but I just found out yesterday that my bus driver, who was driving that bus, passed away yesterday. So tonight, I want to dedicate this song to my bus driver, Ricky, and his family.”

A fan posted the moment on Instagram. See that post here.

Ricky was diagnosed with brain cancer following a bus accident where HARDY, and his crew were involved in the Fall of 2022. Ricky’s daughter paid tribute to her dad on Facebook on November 17. She wrote, along with a photo of Ricky on a motorcycle, “As of this morning, Daddy is resting in the arms of Jesus. I imagine his laugh being such a joyous sound in heaven. I will never be able to put into words just how much he means to me or how thankful I am God chose him to be mine. He passed peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by Rachel and I. ”

She added, “Throughout this entire process, he has shown so much strength, and I’m so proud of him. He never missed the opportunity to tell me just how much he loved me or how proud of me he is, and I hope to make him proud always. We will post arrangements when they are confirmed. Thank you for praying for us as we are suffering such a great loss.”

See that post here.

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At the time of the bus crash, HARDY wrote on Insta Stories, “Following tonight’s show, our tour bus was in an accident on our way home from Bristol. There were just four of us, including myself; however, we were all treated for significant injuries. Our friend and bus driver needs your prayers as he is still in the hospital. His family is with him while he is being treated, and we’re all pulling and praying for him.”

He concluded at the time, “My team and I will keep the fans updated on that as I rest in the coming days. Please keep our road family in your prayers. God bless our medics and local and state officials for their quick response and incredible service.”

The tour bus overturned on a portion of Interstate 40 West near Nashville at the Wilson and Davidson County line at approximately 2:30 AM CT, Sunday, October 2, 2022.

4 HARDY Songs That Made Him A Star

  • "Give Heaven Some Hell" (2021)

    HARDY said that “Give Heaven Some Hell” is a “stirring” tribute to anyone who has lost a loved one. He said it is one of his favorite songs that he has ever written. When he released it, he said, “I just hope this helps anyone that’s ever suffered a loss of a loved one. I’m excited for this song to exist in the world.” The chorus includes the lyrics, “I hope you hit those gold streets on two wheels / I hope your mansion in the sky’s got a ten-acre field / With some mud and some hubs you can lock in / Make some thunder, make ’em wonder how you got in / Hide your beer, hide your clear from the man upstairs / Crank it loud, hold it down ’til I get there / And when I do, I hope you got some new stories to tell / ‘Til then, give Heaven some hell.”

  • "One Beer" Featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson (2020)

    “One Beer” tells a story about how just a single Bud Light led to an out-of-wedlock pregnancy and a shotgun marriage. Though the twist of fate resulted in the shelving of life plans, there is the ultimate blessing of a happy family of three. The song reached number one on the country charts, becoming HARDY’s first number-one as an artist.

  • "Rednecker" (2019)

    This was HARDY’s very first single from his debut album. The music video was shot on a farm in Cottontown, Tennessee, and features some of HARDY’s songwriting collaborators: Brett Tyler, Joe Clemmons, and Benjy Davis. The group was able to relax and have a fun day just being buddies and hanging out. Their day consisted of mudding, mattress surfing via his jacked-up 4×4, shooting catfish in a lake, paintballing, and shotgunning Busch Lights.

  • "Wait in the Truck" Featuring Lainey Wilson (2022)

    HARDY’s biggest hit as an artist. This modern day murder ballad has been certified platinum, selling almost one million copies. The song’s dramatic video won Collaborative Music Video of the Year at the 2023 CMT Music Awards and was nominated for Video of the Year. The song and video won Musical Event and Video of the Year at the 2023 ACM Awards. The song depicts a man who, upon finding a battered woman on the side of the road, confronts her abuser in his trailer, shooting him when he reaches for his shotgun, killing the abuser. The video has been viewed on YouTube over 63 million times.

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.

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Author Nancy Brooks // Country Writer, Beasley Media Group
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