Elderly Alan Jackson fan injured at concert, misses entire performance
Bonnie Keller, who has been a fan of Alan Jackson for 30 years, was injured after being pushed over at Saturday’s concert in Knoxville.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -For the last 30 years, Bonnie Keller has been a massive Alan Jackson fan with a collection of his albums in her Newport home.
Keller’s granddaughter spent nearly $600 on tickets for the family to go see Jackson on Saturday when he came to Thompson-Boling Arena. Due to a recent heart surgery, the 81-year-old couldn’t stand at the show but was seated and ready to watch and listen to her favorite artist.
“He’s a good singer and he’s handsome. He’s my tall drink of water,” said Keller.
On the day of the concert Keller was excited to hear an old classic ,“I Want To Stroll Over Heaven With You”, but that never happened. Instead Keller, her daughter, and granddaughter left just a few songs into the show after an altercation broke out.
“They kept reaching back at my grandmother, grabbing at her hands telling, her she needed to stand up and dance,” said Jenny Zmich, who is Keller’s granddaughter.
Zmich believed alcohol played a major factor with a rowdy group the row in front of them that caused the Keller to not be able to see or hear any of the concert. According to Keller and Zmich, after a few back and forth conversations what escalated things was when Keller said a woman in front of them said, “If she can’t get up and dance what’d you bring her for,” which escalated the situation.
At that point Zmich said she grabbed Keller’s cane, held it horizontally with two hands, and used it to defend the family and push back the crowd a row ahead of them. When the pushing began, the family went to the ground and Keller was bruised and had a cut on her hand that was bleeding. The altercation was called “mutual combat” according to UTPD, and no arrests were made.
For Keller, she missed the entire show after leaving to get medical treatment, and feels people should be more mindful of others when at a concert.
“I mean just because I’m old and crippled up doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have fun. I have every right to live my life and have fun, and enjoy what I’ve got left and I don’t need people like that to try and juts push me down.” said Keller.
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