Eric Church’s George Strait Secret

When Eric Church performed with George Strait in Omaha last January, it was one of the greatest nights in Eric’s career.  But what most people don’t know is it almost didn’t happen.  That’s because the night before the show, Eric severely cut one of his fingers.  He told Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton: “I cut it badly.  I cut it off.  I was getting a toy out for my 2 year old.  The way toys are held in with a wire tie, they’re wrapped in where you cannot get them out.  So my father-in-law handed me his pocket night that he just sharpened.  I should have known better.  It was the night before George Strait, I’m playing by myself, and I cut through one of the ties and into the finger, it went all the way to the bone and into the bone.  I felt it nick it.  I didn’t go to the emergency room because I was worried the stitches would take me out of the show.  It was my index left finger for my guitar hand.  So my father-in-law gets kerosene, and I dip my finger in kerosene.  Apparently it keeps it from getting sore.  So I kept in kerosene for about an hour.  I pull it out, we glue it together.  We super-glued it.  I was able to push the skin back together.  We had Neosporin stuff, then I super-glued it together.  Then I wrapped it.  I am not missing this George Strait show, no matter what.  I’m going, I don’t care.  I tried sound check, and couldn’t do it with the bandage on, so I pulled it off.  It started bleeding during the show, but I just went for it.  George gave me a hard time about it when they saw it, but it worked out.

(Lon) Did it hurt a lot? (Eric) It hurt, but because it was so sharp, it was more like a surgical cut.  I was able to put it back together and keep it from re-opening.

(L) Did they show this on the big screen? (E) I kept wiping it off, and I have my jeans from that night, got blood all over them, I kept wiping my hand on my jeans, I thought it was kinda rock & roll, bleeding all over your guitar.  I did 45 minutes by myself.  Most fun I ever had.  Ever on stage.  No net, no real plan.  Just walked around, told stories, and the energy of that was enough that I got a lot from it.

(L) How’d you get through it? (E) It’s George Strait’s last tour, I’m gonna get through it!

(L) So after the last show, did you get stitches? (E) No, I kept taping it up, and it finally healed up.

(L) I assume you’ll be in Dallas?  (E) I’ll be there! It’s been so cool, seeing George winning the ACM Entertainer of the Year, I’m very happy he won it, and happy to see the support he’s had on this tour, a guy that’s meant so much to so many of us.

George Strait’s final show in Cowboy Stadium in Dallas will take place on June 7th.

Tags: eric church, strait

Category: Audio