Ottawa jazz singer Kellylee Evans is still slated to play Friday at the Ottawa Bluesfest in Confederation Park but is fortunate to even be alive after being struck by lightning earlier in the month.
"I was just in the kitchen minding my own business, trying to be clean and cleanly," she told CBC in a video interview). "I was wiping the counter and it was on Saturday, the 8th of June when we had a really big storm. We knew the storm was pretty close because we kept hearing it. Then all of a sudden one hit. I'm not sure where it hit. I don't know if it hit the window, I don't know if it hit me, I don't know. I don't remember. But I just remember feeling like a jolt."
Evans added the strike was the result of "splash lightning" where the lightning bolt was conducted through the plumbing and "through the water or the metal in the sink." Evans said she was barefoot at the time and on a concrete floor.
In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Evans said a sponge she used to wipe the counter made contact with the sink when the lightning hit. "It was really horrible," she said. "But I was lucky. I'm still here. My heart didn't stop and I have no burns."
On Tuesday the singer posted a letter on her site relaying the news but was very good-natured about the whole event.
"I just wanted to let you know that, yes, it is true, I was hit by lightning two weeks ago," she wrote. "It was an electrifying experience. Yes, it was shocking. Ok, all puns aside, I am alright and getting better and better everyday. Please don't worry. I just may be a little slower for a while but I expect to fully recover with all your prayers and positive thoughts doing all the hard work for me."
"Hey everyone," she posted separately on her Facebook page. "I'll be ok. Honest. Just taking life a bit slower, that's all. And I'll be keeping clear of lightning from now on :)."
Evans said she'll have to use a cane temporarily as she's having issues with her mobility and her speech is a tad slurred. But she'll still be performing on Friday night before more Canadian gigs and a string of dates in France later this month. Evans released her latest album "I Remember When" earlier this year.
