Carolina natives Luke Combs and Eric Church showcased the power of music over the weekend as they stepped up for their hometowns and led the star-studded line-up for their Concert for Carolina benefit show.
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The show, which raised a whopping $24.5 million, featured performances by several A-listers who all donated their time and talents to give back. Those artists included James Taylor, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings, Bailey Zimmerman, Scotty McCreery, Chase Rice, The Avett Brothers and Parmalee. Additionally, there were special in-person appearances by Nicole Kidman and Randy Travis, as well as a special written message from Dolly Parton who revealed she was donating $1 million.
Hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley, the show took place at took place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will see 100% of its proceeds benefit relief efforts in the Carolina region following the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Helene last month.
“What a night,” Luke Combs shared on social media following the impactful night. “This will undoubtedly go down as the night I am most proud of in my career. Being able to give back to the place that gave me so much.”
Combs went on to thank all the people who donated time, effort and talent off the stage for the show to go off without a hitch and raise as much money as possible for those in need. “The Panthers front office team, The Tepper family, AEG, SES, LiveNation, the venue staff, all the sponsors,” he said, naming a few of the people who made it happen in addition to his team. “The state of North Carolina, all the performers and their teams for donating their time and resources to this effort. The list is long,” he continued.
Eric Church also felt the great impact from the night and showed his never-ending dedication to his hometown by announcing his plans to rebuild 100 homes through his Chief Cares Foundation for residents who lost theirs.
“We made it our mission at Chief Cares that we're going to be the community next door," Church explained to the crowd of more than 80,000. "We've come up with a plan called Blueprint for the Blue Ridge. We're going to put 100 families in homes that have lost their homes in Avery County and the surrounding areas — one of the worst hit areas. In an area that I spent half of my years, an area I've had a lot of inspiration and gained a lot of inspiration, in an area I've made five records in. And we're going to go and keep those people in their community, put a roof over their heads, let them interact with their community, let them be a part of their community, and let them help rebuild the community."
He continued on to share that while the current plan is 100 homes — he hopes it will be even more in the future.
For more information about the show and where the proceeds will go, visit www.concertforcarolina.com.