Country singer Conner Smith returns to the stage after tragic crash that killed elderly woman
His performance marked a deeply emotional and faith-filled night at the Grand Ole Opry. Sources close to Smith exclusively shared a video with Fox News Digital that showed the singer addressing the crowd, and opening up about the aftermath of the accident.
Advertisement
'I've found in the darkest of moments, the Lord is so much closer than ever before. He was better than I could ever imagine every step of the way,' Smith said.
The 24-year-old singer-songwriter, known for hits like 'Take It Slow' and 'Creek Will Rise,' had canceled multiple performances over the past two months as he grieved and stepped back from the spotlight.
Now, in what he calls a 'second chance,' Smith returned to the stage.
Before he stepped onstage, Smith addressed fans directly with a heartfelt post on his blog post titled 'The First Step.'
Advertisement
He candidly opened up about the emotional aftermath of the fatal crash and the private journey he's been on since then.
'The moment tragedy came, I knew that my heart had no way to process it,' Smith wrote on Substack. 'Surrounded by an incredible community, my wife, family, friends, pastors, for the first 30 days, I stayed isolated from the world. I spent most of my time with friends who had stopped by the house, or just me and Jesus. I turned off my phone, and the world, and simply guarded my mind, processing the pain with the people around me.'
3 Conner Smith performs onstage at the New Faces of Country Music Dinner during CRS 2024 at Omni Nashville Hotel on March 01, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Getty Images
3 Smith performs during Big Machine Label Group x CMA Fest 2025 at Lainey Wilson's Bell Bottoms Up on June 07, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Getty Images for Big Machine Label Group
Advertisement
During his performance at the Grand Ole Opry, Smith was introduced by fellow Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman and performed a set filled with emotion and worship, debuting a personal new song titled 'Songs of David,' which he described as a 'version of a prayer' he'd been writing over the past two months.
Smith's heartfelt performance comes after he made the decision to cancel multiple shows in the wake of the accident. He explained at the time that he needed time to grieve and focus on his emotional well-being.
While he pointed out that performing has often served as a source of healing for him, he acknowledged that this moment required him to take a step back.
3 Smith performs on the Chevy Riverfront stage during day three of CMA Fest 2025 at Riverfront Park on June 7, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Getty Images
Advertisement
'Out of respect for everyone involved and to give space for grieving, I made the decision to step away from shows these past few weeks. I have always found that making music and playing shows is a place of healing for me – but for this moment, it was important for me to take time away.'
In June, Smith was behind the wheel during the deadly Nashville crash that left a 77-year-old woman dead. Earlier this month, Smith was issued a misdemeanor citation for failure to yield, resulting in a fatality.
The rising country star took to social media to break his silence as he grieved and mourned the loss of Dorothy Dobbins.
'Four weeks ago, I was involved in a tragic vehicle accident that resulted in the loss of a life,' Smith penned in an Instagram post on July 11.
'Not a day has gone by that I haven't grieved, prayed, and mourned for Ms. Dobbins and her family.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Sydney Sweeney's 'Great Jeans' Illuminate the Dangerous Resurgence of Eugenics
American Eagle came under fire recently for an ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. In one ad, Sweeney fiddles with her jeans, saying, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My genes are blue." A male narrator finishes with, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." It's a play on homophones, but the wordplay reveals a more sinister element: Sweeney does not just have great American Eagle jeans, she has great American genes. Picking a blonde, blue-eyed, able-bodied all-American girl was not an accident. It was about showcasing what are "good genes," and thus what are "bad genes." It's a modern eugenics movement proudly re-emerging amid a welcoming political climate. A window display of actress Sydney Sweeney is seen on a window of an American Eagle store on Aug. 1, 2025, in New York City. A window display of actress Sydney Sweeney is seen on a window of an American Eagle store on Aug. 1, 2025, in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images The American eugenics movement has historically promoted the superiority of Anglo-Saxon, able-bodied, wealthy people, leading to harmful policies from the Immigration Act of 1924 barring immigrants from Asia to a practice of unnecessary and undisclosed hysterectomies performed on Black women in the South so widespread it was coined the "Mississippi appendectomy." Eugenicists promoted anti-miscegenation laws and forced sterilization of those in prison and in poverty and of those with disabilities or mental illness. These practices have not died. In 2020, low-income immigrant women detained by ICE in Georgia were forcibly sterilized. As we hear rhetoric from the current administration about immigrants "poisoning the blood" of our country, it invites horrifying thoughts of what may be happening to immigrants currently being detained by ICE. Even more sinister, however, is a modern eugenics movement camouflaged by in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is increasingly popular, and rightfully so. Couples with fertility issues can conceive. Women can freeze eggs. Queer couples can have genetically related kids. IVF can also ostensibly prevent harm. IVF clinics might screen embryos for sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, BRCA1, and Down syndrome. Things get confusing and uncomfortable, however, when we try to define what harms are worth preventing. In a world where whiteness and conventional beauty are tightly coupled with success, couldn't selecting for these features be a way to minimize a child's future suffering? Most sperm donor companies have a height minimum of 5'9". Harvard graduate egg and sperm donors are highly sought after. While it's hard to fault parents for wanting the best for their children, as a geneticist, it is concerning to me how much stock people put into the inheritance of such complex and environmentally influenced traits. With biotech companies explicitly offering genetic testing, I am even more concerned. Last October, Helios Genomics offered to boost a couple's future child's IQ via genetic screening. Nucleus Genomics recently took this a shocking step further by announcing it is offering genetic testing for traits like eye color, hair color, height, BMI, and IQ. Companies perform these screens with polygenic risk scoring, which makes use of genetic mutations identified from large scale population studies to be associated with a complex trait like intelligence. But these findings are just that: associations. We barely understand the true, context-dependent function of all the genes and mutations associated with complex traits. The idea that a company could confidently boast a six-point increase in a trait as socially and environmentally modified as intelligence is naïve at best and deceptive at worst. It also plays directly into the ideals of eugenics: that all social disparities and ailments are genetically determined, and that there is one correct way to be. Amid devastating cuts to everything from Medicaid to education, it is curious that one of the few spaces the Trump administration has pledged to increase federal funding is in vitro fertilization. Is this a random act of kindness amid an onslaught of cruelties? Or is it one of several strategies for breeding a homogenous generation of nationalistic Americans—ones with "good genes" and predetermined allegiances to the regime (thanks to $1,000 savings accounts established in their name from birth)? In this modern era of eugenics, as immigrants are expelled while neo-Nazis spew hateful theories of "great replacement," it is no wonder American Eagle felt bold enough to declare that Sydney Sweeney has great genes. America must reject this renewed, government-endorsed eugenics. Scientists must think deeply about ramifications: Just because we can, or think we can, does not mean we should. IVF companies should be barred from making false promises about the heritability of traits like intelligence, BMI, and hair color. While fatal diseases like breast cancer are fair to select against, prospective parents should think twice about what is lost when selecting for subjective social norms. We all have great genes and we all deserve a society that embraces us, that makes us feel whole, and bold, and beautiful—like a pair of great jeans. Tania Fabo, MSc is an MD-PhD candidate in genetics at Stanford University, a Rhodes scholar, a Knight-Hennessy scholar, a Paul and Daisy Soros fellow, and a Public Voices fellow of The OpEd Project. Her PhD research focuses on the interaction between genetics and diet in colorectal cancer risk. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
New York Post
38 minutes ago
- New York Post
How Seth Rogen pulled double duty with ‘The Studio' and ‘Platonic': ‘Hard work pays off'
Seth Rogen doesn't take his job lightly. The star, 43, was so invested in both of his Apple TV+ shows that he pulled double duty while filming. Rogen currently stars as Matt Remick in the Emmy-nominated dark comedy, 'The Studio,' and also portrays Will on the dramedy series, 'Platonic.' 11 Luke Macfarlane attends the season two premiere of 'Platonic.' Apple TV+ via Getty Images His 'Platonic' co-star, Luke Macfarlane, revealed how the actor was able to pull it off. 'Going into season two, you know, Seth had just finished filming 'The Studio,'' he exclusively told The Post. 'So we were very curious what 'The Studio' was going to turn into. And now, of course, we know what 'The Studio' turned into.' Macfarlane, 45, added, 'It is this incredible, brilliant, beautiful show. That he was, by the way, working on while he was filming Season 1 of 'Platonic.' Which is also, just as an actor, an incredible sort of reminder that hard work can pay off.' 11 Luke Macfarlane talks to Alexandra Bellusci of the Post. 11 Seth Rogen in 'The Studio.' The Hallmark star reminisced about how Rogen would juggle both roles at the same time. 'He was literally finishing scenes on 'Platonic' and going in his trailer and typing away,' continued Macfarlane. 'So it's delightful to come back and do a second season of the show. I think we all had a tremendous amount of time. It also feels like a lot of people that enjoy working together, and getting to work together again.' Looking back at filming the second season, one memory in particular has stuck with the 'Bros' vet. 11 Seth Rogen as Matt Remick in 'The Studio.' Apple+ 'Seth really respects what everyone does,' Macfarlane said. 'You know, Seth did an amazing thing once, actually. Somebody on set who kind of shouldn't have said this told me to do something.' He explained, 'I was wearing a lav, a microphone, and I brought my hand to my lav, and I covered the lav in the scene. And somebody said something to me like, 'Oh, don't do that with your hand, you'll cover your lav.'' Rogen made sure that was the end of stepping in where you shouldn't. 11 Luke Macfarlane in 'Platonic.' 'And Seth actually said to that person, 'Don't tell an actor what to do. That's not your job,'' Macfarlane shared. 'Just watching somebody look out for his fellow actors – that's what he does.' 'He's got integrity,' Macfarlane gushed. 'He knows how to look out for his actors. He really cares about an actor feeling comfortable.' Rogen also made sure to keep the laughs coming. 11 Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in 'Platonic.' 'Seth is very famous for a lot of things. I think he's really famous for that laugh, you know?' Macfarlane mused. 'And I will say, working with Seth, you always want to get him to do that laugh. It makes you very happy when you make Seth laugh. So I will say the most Seth Rogen thing you can get him to do is laugh.' Rogen wasn't the only one who hit Macfarlane's funny bone. 'Rose makes me laugh a lot,' he dished about his on-screen wife. 'I think we're filming a scene where I was, like, popping in and out of a doorway, and of course, the timing was hilarious. So we were just making each other laugh because I felt like I kept on missing the entrance.' 11 Luke Macfarlane, Rose Byrne, and Seth Rogen speak at Apple's 'Platonic' Los Angeles event. Getty Images for Today at Apple 'It's something early in the season where I'm sort of like, you know, doing the sticking my head [in], and I just kept on sticking my head in at the wrong time. So that made us both laugh quite a bit.' These days, the Canadian hunk is focused on bringing Season 2 to the masses. 'Platonic' follows former best friends, Sylvia (Byrne) and Will (Rogen), who reconnect after a years-long rift. The second season drops on Wednesday, August 6, with Macfarlane describing what fans are in store for. 11 Carla Gallo, Luke Macfarlane, Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen. Getty Images 'Friendship, chaos, and comedy,' he stated. Macfarlane's Charlie, meanwhile, is trying to navigate his partner's reignited friendship. 'This second season is different for my character, because in the first season, my character is the rock,' he detailed. 'This season, he's definitely the character that is, oof, a little bit sort of lost. Lost in the weeds. So it was fun to kind of explore this other side of him where he's a little bit more sort of floundering in the universe.' 11 Seth Rogan in a scene from 'The Studio.' Apple+ But Macfarlane is happy to step back into Charlie's shoes for such a hilarious and sweet series. After all, he is 'most comfortable [in] comedy.' 'I get to wear sort of the most normal clothes,' elaborated Macfarlane. 'I like doing comedy. That's what I feel the most comfortable in.' 11 Seth Rogan looks upset in a scene from 'The Studio.' Apple+ Rogen is serving all sorts of comedy playing Remick – the newly appointed head of Continental Studios. He is juggling corporate demands, talent, and his own ambitions, all while trying to keep movies relevant. In June, Rogen opened up about what he wanted to portray with the show, which many people in the industry have related to in a very real way. 'I mean, I don't know if our specific goal was to trigger a trauma in people,' he told The Playlist, 'but it was meant to capture our own experiences with it as viscerally as possible. And that was a word we used a lot.' 11 A still from the 2025 drama 'The Studio.' 'So yeah,' he went on. 'I think the idea that people who have experienced similar things have a visceral reaction to it, I think it does mean that it is a good expression of our experience and what we were trying to put out there.' Rogen noted: 'But yeah, it's based on a lot of traumatic things I've experienced, so…'
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Pat McAfee goes off on ‘bum ass suits at ESPN' while praising $1.6 billion WWE deal
Not everyone with the WWE has glowing things to say about ESPN. Former wrestling commentator and current ESPN host Pat McAfee called out some of the mid-level 'suits' as bums after the announcement on Wednesday that WWE and the network are teaming up on a deal to broadcast the promotion's premium live events. 'Congrats to the @WWE and @espn on getting a historic PLE deal done,' McAfee said in a post on X. 4 Pat McAfee figures to see his role only grow in the coming months with this latest move bringing WWE to ESPN. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 4 John Cena defended his WWE Worlds title against Cody Rhodes at Met Life Stadium on August 3, 2025. George Napolitano / 'Great to see 2 powerhouses of sports and entertainment come together. I assume all the mid-level, powerless, bum ass suits at ESPN will attempt to muddy this somehow (out of context leaks/ignorant anonymous opinions/etc.) but, in the end.. this agreement will outlive the dinosaurs currently guarding desks in Bristol and this deal will be great for ESPN. Cheers to the future.' The deal, which will run for five years and is worth $1.6 billion, will allow ESPN to broadcast WWE events such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble as part of its new direct-to-consumer service that launches later this month. 4 Triple-H and the WWE will be on ESPN programming. WWE via Getty Images 4 Norby Williamson Getty Images McAfee, who stepped back from his WWE commentator duties earlier this year due to his busy schedule, has previously had issues with ESPN executives, with him accusing Norby Williamson of trying to 'sabotage' his eponymous show in 2024. Williamson was the company's executive editor and head of event and studio production. McAfee went hard after Williamson, who left ESPN in January, on multiple occasions, even saying 'I don't got a motherf–king boss' last February. ESPN and McAfee have been business partners since September 2023, when the former NFL punter inked a five-year $85 million deal.
