When Montgomery Gentry takes the stage tomorrow night in the first of the nightly stadium shows at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Eddie Montgomery will likely be performing in anguish.
He broke his ribs a few weeks ago in a horse-riding accident, and breathing deeply is a painful experience. But breathing deeply is also a requirement for singers, so Eddie will have to grin and bear it as he and Troy Gentry whip through their set in front of more than 20,000 people.
"When I first [broke] it, I was hurtin’ like a son of a buck," Eddie recalls. "I didn’t move around a whole lot. It’s probably the first time that I could feel it every time really when I take a deep breath. But the doctor told me to do that. He said the more you breath deeper and move around, as long as you don’t get too physical, it’s gonna make it heal quicker. I was like, ‘OK, give me some Jim Beam.’"