Darius & Friends Returns To The Ryman With All-Star Lineup Benefiting St. Jude [Recap]

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Darius Rucker. Photo: Catherine Powell

The 17th annual Darius & Friends benefit concert returned to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Monday evening (June 1), bringing together an all-star lineup of country talent in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Hosted by Darius Rucker, the annual event once again blended chart-topping hits, surprise collaborations and crowd-pleasing covers while raising funds and awareness for the hospital’s lifesaving mission. The event plus a golf tournament collected $1.1 million for St. Jude.

After a live auction benefiting St. Jude’s, Rucker opened the evening with a pair of fan favorites, “This” and “For The First Time,” before welcoming Carter Faith to the stage. Faith delivered her originals “Bar Star” and “Ain’t Over Me Yet” before putting her own country spin on Britney Spears’ pop classic “Oops!… I Did It Again.”

Returning to the spotlight, Rucker continued with “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” and “Southern State Of Mind” before introducing special guest Mark Wills. Wills drew enthusiastic singalongs with “Jacob’s Ladder,” “19 Somethin'” and Alabama’s beloved “Dixieland Delight.”

Lauren Alaina. Photo: Catherine Powell

Rucker then energized the room with “I Only Wanna Be With You” and “Beers And Sunshine” before inviting Lauren Alaina to join him for a spirited duet of Johnny Cash and June Carter’s “Jackson.” Alaina followed with performances of her own hits “Raining Whiskey” and “Road Less Traveled.”

The evening’s momentum continued as Rucker returned for “Homegrown Honey” and “Come Back Song” before welcoming Randy Houser to the stage. Houser showcased his signature vocals on “Back In The Bottle,” “Tulsa Time” and “Like A Cowboy.”

Back on stage, Rucker delivered “If I Told You” and “Alright” before introducing Jason Aldean. Aldean’s set featured “Fly Over States,” his current single “How Far Does A Goodbye Go” and the crowd favorite “Dirt Road Anthem.”

To close the evening, Rucker treated fans to a genre-spanning finale that reflected both his musical roots and influences. The hitmaker performed a cover of Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It,” TLC’s “Waterfalls” and Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” before bringing the sold-out Ryman crowd to its feet with his unreleased “The Tracks” before closing out with his signature anthem, “Wagon Wheel.”

Jason Aldean. Photo: Catherine Powell

Carter Faith. Photo: Catherine Powell

Mark Wills. Photo: Catherine Powell

Randy Houser. Photo: Catherine Powell

Photo: Catherine Powell

Madison Hahnen
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