Brandon Bostic, well known bluegrass sideman, Station Inn bartender, and one half of The Darrell Brothers, says he is “ready to get back at it” after a devastating car crash in January 2020.
The left handed picker reflected on the collision. “I have very few memories of the accident. It was a Sunday morning, and I was on my way to do some recording for the Nashville Acoustic Camps. I was driving up I-65, talking to my wife, Jess, through the car’s Bluetooth. The next thing I recall was a paramedic asking me if I was able to stand up and get onto a stretcher. I had no idea what had happened.”
“Jess later explained that in the middle of our conversation I became unresponsive. She heard the commotion and feared the worst. I had suffered a seizure while driving, and had driven my car into a concrete median at 70 mph, fracturing two vertebrae.
“I was very fortunate, as the accident could have been much worse. Traffic was unusually light that morning, and the car hit the median in such a way that it locked the front left tire, keeping me from bouncing back across the interstate. No other cars were involved, and no one else was injured. I’m very thankful for that.”
“I had experienced two seizures prior to this accident, one in West Virginia with Blue Moon Rising, but was told that they were anomalies, and that doctors found no evidence of Epilepsy. It was just out of the blue, no history. The doctors just said to take care of myself, avoid stress, and get plenty of rest.”
Bostic was taken to Vanderbilt University Hospital.
“I was in disbelief. There extensive testing lead to a formal Epilepsy diagnosis. I had a fantastic team of physicians and therapists at Vanderbilt University helping with my recovery, and after a short stay in the ICU, I was back home and resting comfortably.”
Unbelievably, the musician only remained hospitalized for three days.
“I was ready to go home. I spent most the next 12 weeks on the couch in a TLSO [Thoracic Lumbar Sacral Orthosis] brace watching the beginnings of the pandemic unfold. It was surreal; almost like I was living in a different universe.”
Brandon says that he is grateful for the assistance that he received throughout his recovery process. “I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank all of the kind folks that helped me get through this challenging time. The love and support from family, friends, the Nashville music community, and the bluegrass community from all parts of the world was overwhelming. Special thanks to IBMA, Dan Rogers and the Opry Trust Fund, and The Station Inn. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to appropriately express how much it meant to me.”
Now fully recovered, Bostic reflected on his situation. “I was lucky. My recovery wasn’t too bad. There are others in our community who have experienced medical emergencies far greater than mine. 2020 was a tough year for everyone. We’ve all experienced loss of some kind, even if it’s just the loss of normalcy in our day-to-day lives. I’d like to encourage everyone to donate to organizations and fund-raising campaigns helping those in need, if you are able. Here are just a few that are important to me. They were a huge blessing.”
- Bluegrass Trust Fund
- Opry Trust Fund
- MusiCares
- GoFundMe for Patton Wages
- GoFundMe for Mike Barnett
- GoFundMe for Val Storey
Bostic says he is back making a little music and working in his home studio these days, but he has even bigger news. Brandon and his wife, Jess, are expecting their first child, a daughter, in early September.
“I’m very excited to be a Dad. We haven’t decided on her name. It took me forever to name my dog!”
It is indeed a blessing that Brandon Bostic is back, anxious to pick, and ready to become a father. 2021 is set to be a better year and Bostic, like the rest of us, could use a break after 2020.
