Billy Ray Cyrus performed at Nashville’s 9/11 tribute and sang from Some Gave All before telling the crowd the moment felt spiritual and sacred to him, while also recalling that he was filming for Doc in Toronto when the attacks happened. The ceremony brought together city leaders and public safety officials, including nine people who worked in New York and Washington D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001.
Nashville 9/11 tribute
Cyrus sang, “Love your country and live with pride. And don't forget those who died,” during the ceremony. He also said, “We knew right then the world had changed,” when he described learning about the attacks from Toronto.
The tribute opened with Nashville Fire Department personnel unfurling an American flag and hoisting it above Broadway. Nine public safety officials who worked in New York and Washington D.C. on that day sat in the front row, with a deep red rose pinned to each shirt.
Freddie O'Connell and John Drake
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell used the ceremony to focus on memory across generations. He said children younger than 10 likely do not have a fully formed memory of that day, and added that it is up to people to remember and ensure the emotional resonance and human complexity of Sept. 11, 2001 lives on.
Police Chief John Drake described the morning as “blue-sky, warm and a little humid.” He said that when the first plane hit one of the towers, he thought it was a tragedy, and that after the second plane hit, he wanted to get to New York but instead went home numb.
William Swann and Doug Pinkerton
Fire Chief William Swann said, “We have proven we can unite when the sirens are wailing. We have proven we can find each other in the dark,” then added that the harder challenge is to remain united when the sirens are silent. “Don't wait for the next disaster to act like a community,” he said.
Nashville Fire Capt. Doug Pinkerton said the men and women answered the call during one of the darkest days in the nation's history. He added that they demonstrated extraordinary courage, selfless service and unwavering commitment to protecting others, often at great personal sacrifice.
Twenty-five years after Sept. 11, the Nashville ceremony tied a performance to a memorial audience that included responders and city officials, and it left one question hanging over the program: what other performances or tributes were included beyond Cyrus’s song.
