As areas of the United States spanning North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia have been devastated by Hurricane Helene, communities have pulled together to provide essentials to those in need and rebuild areas damaged or destroyed by the storm.
The category 4 hurricane came ashore late on Sept. 26 in Florida’s Big Bend region, with a maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. As the hurricane moved north, it destroyed homes, demolished buildings, crumbled bridges and wiped away roads. In some places, the storm washed away entire communities, and has cut off cellphone services and electricity for millions of residents. So far, the death toll from Hurricane Helene has grown to more than 200 people.
In response to the hurricane’s devastation, several artists in the country, bluegrass and Americana communities have stepped up to help, including many with hometown roots in the states impacted, such as Tennessee natives Dolly Parton and Morgan Wallen, North Carolina natives Eric Church and Luke Combs and Georgia native Jason Aldean.
Church recently released his first solo song in over three years with “Darkest Hour,” dedicated to those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Church is also turning over all of his music publishing royalties from the song to help those in his home state who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“From Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia and even Florida which took a direct hit, there are so many places that were impacted. Specifically in the area that I’m from, the mountains of Western North Carolina were devastated. There are places that are just biblically gone. These are our family members, they’re our friends, they’re our neighbors – and they’re in dire need of help,” Church previously said in a statement about the release of “Darkest Hour.” “And I’ve been in the studio for a while, trying some different things and exploring creativity. I had this song that I’d written, and the line that struck me in light of the recent devastation was ‘I’ll come running,’ because there are a lot of people out there right now who are in their darkest hour and they need people to come running. We were going to wait to release music until next year, but it just didn’t feel right to wait with this song. Sometimes you give songs their moment and sometimes they find their own moment.”
Many artists have made sizable donations to various organizations, while many have also spotlighted organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Boone, North Carolina-based charity Samaritan’s Purse.
Below, we highlight some of the artists in the country, Americana and bluegrass communities who are aiding Hurricane Helene relief in various ways.
During a recent hometown show in Macon, Georgia as part of his Highway Desperado Tour, Aldean and his wife Brittany Aldean announced a $500,000 donation to the Boone, North Carolina-based organization Samaritan’s Purse. Also during his concert, Aldean announced that approximately $7 million in aid was raised through a week-long, Donald Trump-authorized GoFundMe campaign.
The bluegrass music community has been particularly impacted by devastation of Hurricane Helene, with several top bluegrass music artists such as Balsam Range and Steep Canyon Rangers (as well as top bluegrass record label Mountain Home Music Company) being based or having roots near the Asheville, North Carolina area. Another prominent bluegrass and roots-oriented label, Pinecastle Records, is located in Piedmont, South Carolina.
The International Bluegrass Music Association’s IBMA Trust Fund, which focuses on financially assisting members of the professional bluegrass music community, recently hosted a live stream concert that featured performances from Rhonda Vincent, Ronnie McCoury, Becky Buller, Donna and Ricky Stanley, Danny Roberts, Jaelee Roberts and more, in order to raise funds to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Country singers Eric Church and Luke Combs, as well as bluegrass artist Billy Strings, will join revered singer-songwriter James Taylor to headline the massive benefit event Concert For Carolina. The Oct. 26 concert, slated for North Carolina’s Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, will benefit hurricane relief efforts.
“This concert took so much planning, work, and coordination from so many people. I’m so thankful to everyone who helped make this a possibility on such short notice. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday and 100% of all proceeds will be going directly to those who need it most,” Combs wrote in an Instagram post.
Tickets will be available starting Thursday (Oct. 10) at 10 a.m. E.T. on the Concert for Carolina website.
Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation is aiding pet shelters and animals impacted by Hurricane Helene. The MuttNation Tractor Supply Relief for Rescues Fund has already donated approximately $100,000 to help relief efforts to aid pet shelters, pets and animals that have been affected by the storm.
“As y’all know, Hurricane Helene hit the Southeast hard. It’s hard to wrap my mind around the devastation that our neighbors in Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia are experiencing,” Lambert said in a recent Instagram video. “Our MuttNation Tractor Supply Relief For Rescues Fund has already provided nearly $100,000 to help animal shelters, pets and their families impacted by the hurricane, as well as support emergency response organizations.”
She added, “It’s a very dire situation because many of the shelters that got hit were already struggling with overcrowding. As we’ve been in contact with the shelters, we’re also hearing really heroic stories. People are risking their lives to help. It’s that type of courage that gives me hope that we’ll all get through this.”
MuttNation continues to raise funds to aid animals impacted by Hurricane Helene.
On Oct. 14, several country and Americana artists will join forces to help hurricane relief efforts, by spearheading the “Unplugged for Appalachia” concert at Nashville’s Exit/In.
Elvie Shane, Amanda Shires, Lori McKenna, Stephen Wilson, Jr., Travis Denning, Lily Rose, Payton Smith, Kat Luna, Evie, Marti Dodson, Autumn McEntire, Mae Estes and Sam Williams are among the singer-songwriters taking part in the event. Hosting the event will be WSM’s Eryn Cooper and Warner Chappell A&R executive Benjamin Amaefule.
Tickets for the event go on sale at 10 a.m. on Oct. 8 at ticketweb.com. The event will benefit the 501c3’s 1st Volunteer Tennessee Rangers and the American Red Cross.
On Oct. 4, the Country Music Hall of Famer and East Tennessee native appeared at a press conference at a Walmart parking lot in Newport, Tennessee, to reveal that she is donating $1 million of her own money from her personal bank account to aid those impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Though her various business enterprises, such as Dollywood and Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Parton will also add another $1 million to aid relief efforts. Also present during the event was Walmart U.S. president/CEO John Furner, who announced the company, as well as the Walmart Foundation and Sam’s Club, would be pledging upward of $10 million toward relief efforts.
On Oct. 14, the country group Shenandoah — known for hits including “Two Dozen Roses” and “Sunday in the South” — will perform at Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, Tennessee, with proceeds from the concert going to those impacted by Hurricane Helene in Cocke County, Tennessee.
Americana stalwart Sturgill Simpson had been slated to perform at Asheville, North Carolina’s Harrah’s Cherokee Center on Oct. 21 and was forced to cancel the show due to the impact of Hurricane Helene. Instead, he is spearheading a benefit concert at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, North Carolina on Oct. 21, with proceeds benefitting the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund. Tickets for the show will be available through a presale starting Oct. 10 at 10 a.m., with a general on-sale starting Oct. 11 at 10 a.m.
East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen made a $500,000 donation to the Red Cross for Hurricane Helene relief through his Morgan Wallen Foundation.
Wallen said in an Instagram story, “My family in East Tennessee are safe, but I know many are absolutely devastated there and in multiple states. All my prayers are geared toward those tonight. Those hills and hollers are very important to me in so many ways. It is going to take a monumental effort, and I am in contact with my team and others working on ways I can help.”
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