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Apostal died just hours after Strings performed a show in his home state of Michigan
Billy Strings is grieving the death of his mother, Debra Apostal.
The Grammy-winning bluegrass musician, 32, announced during a performance in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, June 20, that his mom died just hours after his hometown show in Lansing, Michigan, at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival on Thursday, June 19.
“After our set we drove through the night and I finally fell asleep when we got parked here in Lexington, probably about 5:40 this morning or so. I might have got three hours of sleep and I was in a deep sleep,” Strings said. “My wife woke me up this morning and told me that my beautiful mother, Debra Apostal, passed away in her sleep.
“I just put my shoes on and started walking,” he continued. “I walked until I saw this little country church and it was like a beacon, and I went there and knocked on the door and this kind lady let me in and she stayed with me and prayed with me for a while.”
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Strings explained his decision to carry on with the performance in the wake of her death, saying, “It was, it was my decision to carry on with tonight’s show because that’s what my mom would have wanted me to do.
“She really loved this group of people,” he continued. “She loved you all so much and for the last couple of years were some of her happiest because of a lot of you folks from here. You all became some of our best friends, and I really want to thank you for that.
“So please, instead of a moment of silence, can you please make as much noise right now for my mom?” he asked the audience.
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Strings’ father, Terry Barber, a fellow bluegrass musician, joined him onstage at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival on Thursday, while his mom did not attend the show, Lansing State Journal reported.
The “Dust in a Baggie” singer recalled his parents bringing him to the festival in 1997, when he was 4. The festival was founded 53 years ago, M Live reports.
Apostal died in the early morning hours of Friday, June 20, according to the Lansing State Journal.
