Country Rising Benefit Raises $4 Million

(Photo by John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images)

Some of country’s biggest names gathered Sunday night in Nashville for Country Rising, the mega-concert to help raise money and support charitable initiatives for those affected by the recent hurricanes and victims of the Las Vegas shooting. Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Keith Urban and Jon Pardi performed during the event at Bridgestone Arena, and helped raise $4 million dollars for the cause. A second show that had been scheduled for the same evening at Ascend Amphitheater was canceled due to weather.

Presented by Hilton and Dollar General and hosted by Bobby Bones, the show included highlights like Dierks Bentley performing his powerful song “Riser,” which he dedicated to the first responders and the community for rallying together and rising up in the midst of tragedy, and Chris Stapleton, who announced from the stage that he and wife Morgane are donating $250,000 to the cause. Other surprises included a special video from Garth Brooks from Spokane, Washington, where he donated proceeds from the night’s two shows, and Jon Pardi surprising the audience and appearing to sing “Dirt On My Boots.” 

Jason Aldean also took the stage to perform, acknowledging that the shooting in Vegas had taken a personal toll on him. “It’s been a rough couple months for us up here, and it’s a lot of fun to get back out and play for the people who matter which is you guys,” said Aldean. “I love getting up every day and playing music, and I’ll be damned if anybody out there will ever stop me from doing that.”