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Petula Clark shocked that ‘Downtown’ played before bombing

December 30, 2020 GMT

Debris remains on the sidewalks in front of buildings damaged in a Christmas Day explosion Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. Officials have named 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner as the man behind the bombing in which he was killed, but the motive has remained elusive. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Singer Petula Clark expressed shock and disbelief that her 1964 hit “Downtown” was aired just minutes before a bomb detonated in Nashville on Christmas morning.

“I was told that the music in the background of that strange announcement — was me — singing ‘Downtown’! Of all the thousands of songs — why this one?” Clark wrote on a Facebook post Tuesday.

Clark said she loved Nashville and wished she could give everyone in the city a hug.

The explosion took place in the heart of Nashville’s historic downtown. The blast killed the bomber, injured several people and damaged dozens of buildings. The RV blared a warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes then switched to a recording of “Downtown” before the blast.

“(Millions) of people all over the world have been uplifted by this joyful song,” Clark wrote. “Perhaps you can read something else into these words — depending on your state of mind. It’s possible.”