Sturgill Simpson Has Coronavirus And His Instagram Rant Was...Something

Ok since they are in short supply these days here are some facts... We were on tour in Western Europe for two weeks late Jan /early Feb..then up and down the southeast/eastern US playing arena shows mid Feb to early March. We played Charleston, SC on March 10 and they pulled the plug on our tour March 12 and I returned home.

This photo was taken at 9am on March 13th when my wife took me to our local hospital ER due to chest pains, fever, and pre-stroke blood pressure levels.
I spent an hour listening to a (highly condescending) Doctor refuse to test me because I “did not fit testing criteria” and tell me why it was impossible that I had contracted the virus due to its extreme rarity and that it was not in western Europe yet during that same period (which we now know is incorrect) even though I was told by two nurses that I was the first person their hospital had walk in requesting to be tested.

Almost one month later on April 6th my wife and I were both tested after finally finding a free drive-thru testing facility outside a National Guard depot. Yesterday on Friday April 10th, after almost one month without any symptoms, I received a call from the Nashville CDC stating that my test resulted in a positive detection for Covid-19. My wife (who has been by my side since Europe) tested negative.

I should also add that the CDC nurse I spoke to yesterday told me that it reacts differently in a case by case basis and the White House briefings and the information they are providing is basically pure speculation causing fear and that the only thing anybody knows is that we don’t really know much yet.

All I know is I first felt symptoms a month ago yet Im still positive and contagious and now on quarantine in the dojo until April 19th and really wishing Id taken my wife’s advice and put a bathroom in the floor plans..live and learn.

But hey, at least our Government appointed task force headed by a man who does not believe in science is against mass testing and we now have a second task force in the works to “open America back up for business”! Dick Daddy out.

This is NOT the message I wanted hear from Sturgill today. On Easter no less. I love Sturgill Simpson. He's released one album in the last 4 years and somehow this is the 8th time I've blogged about him. One of my all-time favorite artists. And in this situation, I'd like nothing more than to tell him to shut up. It absolutely SUCKS that he had what sounds like horrible symptoms, was not tested, was misdiagnosed, and is now needing further quarantine and isolation. Here is the thing though...this post is doing EXACTLY what he is complaining about in the rant. He spoke to a single CDC nurse and used that conversation along with his own experience to further cause fear by speculating that nobody knows anything. Pretty solid chance that the random nurse you got in touch with at the Nashville CDC isn't the foremost expert in the world on the global pandemic. 

I love Sturgill. I hope he recovers soon and fully. His situation sucks. Just, you know, don't do the same thing you're accusing others of doing based on personal and limited information. 

Anyways, here are my favorite Sturgill songs.