Ms. Paglia, who was attending the festival and enjoying a performance by Jason Aldean, initially mistook the gunfire for a malfunction in the sound system.
“When we heard the noise, we actually thought it was his speakers blowing out because that’s the first thing that I would think of as a musician, like what’s going on with the sound system,” she recalled.
Once she realized the sounds were gunshots, she and her friends crouched near the stage for cover. The second round of shots incited panic, and Ms. Paglia described witnessing chaos as people huddled down by the stage. Then she got up and ran with the crowd.
The incident is noted as the deadliest mass shooting by a single individual in U.S. history. Mr. Paddock turned the gun on himself, taking his own life in his hotel room. The Clark County Coroner’s office confirmed the cause of death, and the autopsy report listed the manner of death as suicide.
Just one week after surviving the massacre, Ms. Paglia took to the stage at a benefit concert at the Orleans Arena for survivors and victims, where she performed the national anthem. The concert, headlined by Big & Rich and Rascal Flats aimed to provide closure for the survivors. She said the decision to perform so soon after the traumatic event was not easy.
“I got asked to sing the national anthem, and I was really nervous because I had just a week [to get ready to perform] ... and then I had to go in front of a very large group of people on a stage where I was open,” she explained.
Support from her pastor, who accompanied her and prayed with her before the performance, played a crucial role in her decision to take the stage. Ms. Paglia wanted to demonstrate that healing is possible after such a tragedy.
“I knew I couldn’t do it alone during that night of the benefit, so I just literally gave it up to God and said, ‘You brought me here for a reason, so now help me get through it.’ I guess you know, I just kinda gave it up to Him ... and asked ... for His guidance and His protection,” she said.
As she reflected on the experience, she noted: “It was obviously a little nervous a week later. I mean, you know. Excuse me. A week earlier, I was in a crowd when the shooting happened, but now, a week after, I’m on a stage by myself in a closed venue, you know, in front of a whole bunch of other people or another crowd of people. So obviously, I thought about, what if that happens again?”
From Vegas to Nashville
Originally from Las Vegas, Ms. Paglia has taken her country music dreams to Nashville. Since making the move, she has released a single titled “Sass,” co-written with producer Don Miggs. Ms. Paglia has also worked with notable industry figures, such as Blessid Union of Souls frontman Eliot Sloane and songwriter Bobby E. Boyd. She cites Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride as her inspirations.“I have to do what I love, which is my country roots,” Ms. Paglia explained. “Of course, I admire all kinds of music, but for what I want to perform and put out for myself, definitely more country style. You know, like with a fiddle, lap steel, like real good guitar going.”
In addition to her music, Ms. Paglia has a deep passion for horses. “I’ve been around horses my whole life. It’s such a passion of mine, helps keep me grounded, and they’re also teachers to us as well,” she said.
Ms. Paglia enjoys the simple pleasures of a rural lifestyle. “I like to go to rodeos. I like to go work cows. I like to go train my horses with my mom. I like to go hunting and fishing, and those are the things that I enjoy. My dad and I, we like to go shooting together a lot. So that’s fun for us to do something together,” she shared.
“Enjoying the simple pleasures of life that God gave us, like just a pretty sunset or a sunrise. I'll tell you what, I’ve seen some pretty sunrises getting up before the sun and going to a horse show or a rodeo. And it’s just, you know, the sun’s coming up, and it’s beautiful, and it just—it’s what God created. And it’s beautiful to see that on the road and doing what you want to do and what you love to do,” she added.
Looking to the future, Ms. Paglia dreams of collaborating with country superstars Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert. Her music is available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon, with an EP set for release later this year.
