The Bluebird Cafe shared a heartfelt tribute to late Nashville star Hayden Panettiere.

Panettiere performed at the storied Music City venue on the musical drama. The Bluebird Cafe is a legendary, intimate venue in Nashville, Tennessee, showcasing everyone from rising singer-songwriters to some of the most-awarded mainstays in music (including Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill and many others). Panettiere, who performed at the venue as Juliette Barnes on Nashville, died on Sunday (August 16) in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36.

“Rest in Peace, Hayden Panettiere,” reads a post on the Bluebird Cafe’s Instagram account on Monday (August 17). “She was a spark; funny, incredibly talented, beautiful. ‘Nashville’ brought her to us at The Bluebird, and she became part of our family through that. We are heartbroken hearing the news of her passing and we join with her family, friends and colleagues in mourning her loss. 🩵”

Panettiere was born on August 21, 1989 in Palisades, New York. One of her most well-known roles was Barnes, whom she played alongside Connie Britton, Charles Esten, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, Chris Carmack, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and others in the cast. Nashville ran from 2012 to 2018. The series also featured appearances by some real-life country stars, including Rascal Flatts artist Jay DeMarcus. DeMarcus was one of many to pay tribute to Panettiere in a post on Instagram, sharing that he’d “just heard the tragic news of Hayden’s passing. I had the privilege of working with her several times during her years here in Nashville, this is absolutely heartbreaking.. prayers for the family.”

Panettiere is survived by her parents, Skip Panettiere and Lesley Vogel, daughter Kaya, and others. In 2023, she mourned the loss of her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, who died of “cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications,” the family confirmed at the time. Jansen was 28. The Nashville star’s official cause of death has not been confirmed as of publication time; however, she was reportedly found “unresponsive” at a South Carolina home. The Greenville Police Department and the Greenville County Coroner’s Office are investigating the death.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” reads a statement provided by a representative. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her -- and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”

Entertainment