Ella Langley told a Texas crowd that a concert is «not worth a human life» as she explained her decision to cancel a sold-out show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after a reported bomb threat.
The 27-year-old country singer addressed the cancellation on Saturday night at Lubbock's United Supermarkets Arena, one day after calling off her Friday performance at Tulsa's BOK Center. Langley became emotional as she described the weight of deciding whether 15,000 people should be allowed into the arena.
«I was put in charge of a decision for 15,000 people and I decided to make the decision that I could live with the rest of my life,» Langley said, according to Taste of Country. «Because when it comes to keeping you safe and making sure that this show is a safe place for us to come and enjoy our music, then it will happen. But the second it feels like it's not, I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it because a concert's not worth a human life. It's not.»
She added that she would have made the same call «ten billion times over» and would do so again «tomorrow and the next day.» Langley said the safety of her fans outweighed her desire to perform, describing the people around her and their well-being as more important than the show itself.
The singer announced the cancellation on Instagram roughly two hours before Friday's show was scheduled to begin. In her statement, she cited a «serious security threat involving the safety of my fans, the venue staff, and my team» and said the decision was made under the advisement of local authorities, the venue, and her security team. She apologized to fans for the time, travel, money, and planning that went into attending, adding that she refuses to put anyone in harm's way.
The BOK Center also issued a statement Friday, saying the safety and well-being of everyone involved was its absolute priority and that the show could not proceed after careful consideration. The venue apologized to fans who had planned to attend.
Langley admitted she nearly canceled Saturday's Texas concert as well because she was still shaken by the incident. She credited her faith with giving her the courage to return to the stage, telling the crowd she felt a calling telling her it was safe to perform.
«If it wasn't for Him, I would have canceled this show tonight,» she said. «I'm not gonna live in fear. We're going to put on music and get to do this for the rest of our lives.»
She thanked fans for attending despite the frightening events of the previous night, saying the band and crew needed the show as much as the audience did. Langley's remarks follow a string of recent incidents in which performers have canceled or interrupted concerts over safety concerns.