As states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia were devastated by Hurricane Helene, communities came together to provide essential supplies to those in need and rebuild areas damaged or destroyed by the storm.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in the Big Bend, Florida area on the evening of September 26, with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. As the hurricane moved north, it destroyed homes, buildings, bridges and destroyed roads. In some places, the storm washed away entire communities and knocked out cellphone service and power for millions of residents. The death toll from Hurricane Helene has so far increased to more than 200 people.
In response to the devastation of the hurricane, several artists from the country, bluegrass and American communities have stepped up to help, including many from the affected states 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, “Darkest Hour,” dedicated to those affected by Hurricane Helene. Church also handed over all music publishing royalties from the song to help those in his hometown affected by Hurricane Helene.
“There’s a lot of places that have been affected, from western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia, and even Florida which was hit directly. Especially in my area, the mountains of western North Carolina. Devastated. There are places that are biblically lost. These are our families, they are our friends, they are our neighbors – they desperately need help,” Church said in a previous statement about the release of “Darkest Hour.” Zhong said. “I’ve been in the studio for a while, trying some different things and exploring creativity. I wrote this song, and in light of the recent disasters, the lyric that stuck out to me was “I’ll run,” because there are so many right now People are in their darkest moments and they need someone to run with. We were originally going to wait until next year to release the music, but waiting for this song didn’t feel right. Sometimes you give songs their own moments and sometimes they find their own. time.
Many artists have made significant donations to various organizations, and many artists also follow organizations such as the American Red Cross and Samaritan’s Purse in Boone, North Carolina.
Below, we highlight some of the artists from the Americana, Americana, and bluegrass communities who are helping in various ways with Hurricane Helen relief efforts.
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Jason’s side
During a recent hometown show in Macon, Georgia, as part of his Highway Outlaws Tour, Aldean and his wife, Brittany Aldean, announced a tribute to Sarah in Boone, North Carolina. Maria’s Relief donated $500,000. Also during the concert, Aldean announced that approximately $7 million in aid had been raised through a week-long GoFundMe campaign authorized by Donald Trump.
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Betsy Bueller, Rhonda Vinson and others
The bluegrass music community was particularly affected by the devastation of Hurricane Helene, and some of the top bluegrass artists such as Balsam Range and Steep Canyon Rangers (as well as top bluegrass label Mountain Home Music Company) live in Asheville or have roots in Asheville. Near Shweville, North Carolina area. Another well-known bluegrass and roots music label, Pinecastle Records, is located in Piedmont, South Carolina.
The International Bluegrass Music Association’s IBMA Trust, which focuses on providing financial assistance to members of the professional bluegrass music community, recently hosted a livestream concert featuring Rhonda Vincent, Ronnie McCoury There are performances by Ronnie McCoury, Becky Buller, Donna and Ricky Stanley, Danny Roberts, Jaelee and more. Roberts and others to raise funds to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.
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Eric Church, Luke Combs and Billy Strings
Country singers Eric Church and Luke Combs and bluegrass artist Billy Strings will join respected singer-songwriter James Taylor (James Taylor) to headline a major charity event in Carolina Concerts. A concert scheduled for October 26 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, will benefit hurricane relief efforts.
“This concert took a lot of planning, work and coordination. I am so grateful to everyone who helped us make this happen in such a short time. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday and 100% of all proceeds will go directly to Donate to those who need it most.
Tickets will go on sale Thursday, October 10, at 10 a.m. ET on the Carolina Concert website.
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Miranda Lambert
Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation is helping pet shelters and animals affected by Hurricane Helene. The MuttNation Tractor Supply Relief Fund has donated approximately $100,000 to aid relief efforts to assist shelters, pets and animals affected by the storm.
“As we all know, Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast. It’s hard for me to imagine the devastation our neighbors in Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia are experiencing,” Lambert said in a recent Instagram video. “Our MuttNation Tractor Supply Relief Fund has provided nearly $100,000 to help animal shelters, pets and their families impacted by the hurricane, and to support emergency response organizations.”
She added: “The situation is very serious because many shelters under attack are already overcrowded. When we engage with shelters, we also hear stories of real heroes. People risking their lives to assist. It is this courage that gives I hope we can all get through this.
MuttNation continues to raise funds to aid animals affected by Hurricane Helene.
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Lori McKenna, Hervé Shawn, Amanda Hills and more
On October 14, several country and Americana artists will join forces to aid hurricane relief efforts with the “Unplugged for Appalachia” concert at Exit/In in Nashville.
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 participating in the event. The event will be hosted by WSM’s Eryn Cooper and Warner Chappell A&R Director Benjamin Amaefule.
Tickets for the event will go on sale at Ticketweb.com on October 8 at 10am. The event will benefit the 501c3 First Volunteer Tennessee Rangers and the American Red Cross.
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dolly parton
The Country Music Hall of Famer and East Tennessee native appeared at a press conference in a Newport, Tenn., Walmart parking lot on Oct. 4 to reveal that she would be donating $1 million from her personal bank account to People in need. Through her various business ventures, such as Dollywood and Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Parton will add another $1 million to aid relief efforts. Also in attendance was John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., who announced that the company, along with the Walmart Foundation and Sam’s Club, would commit more than $10 million to relief efforts.
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shenandoah
On October 14, country band Shenandoah, known for hits like “Two Dozen Roses” and “Sunday in the South,” will perform at Cotton Eyed Joe’s in Knoxville, Tennessee, with concert proceeds going to benefit those affected by Hurricane Helene of people located in Cocke County, Tennessee.
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Sturgill Simpson
American stalwart Sturgill Simpson was scheduled to perform at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina on October 21, but was forced to cancel due to the effects of Hurricane Helene. Instead, he will host a benefit concert on October 21 at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary, North Carolina, with proceeds going to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund. Tickets for the performance will be on pre-sale at 10am on October 10th and will be on general sale at 10am on October 11th
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Morgan Wallen
East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen donated $500,000 to the Red Cross for Hurricane Helene relief through his Morgan Wallen Foundation.
“My family in East Tennessee is safe, but I know so many people there and in multiple states have been completely devastated,” Warren said in an Instagram Story. “All my prayers are with those tonight People. Those hills and shouts are very important to me in many ways. It’s going to take a huge effort and I’m reaching out to my team and others to find ways I can help.
