Loretta Lynn, Morgan Wallen line up country music stars for Tennessee flood relief
Country music stars are joining forces in Nashville for a series of concerts benefiting victims of the severe storms and flooding that have overtaken parts of Tennessee.
Country legend Loretta Lynn is rounding up Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Luke Bryan and Luke Combs for a Sept. 13 show at the famed Grand Ole Opry House in support of United Way Humphreys County and other flood relief measures.
Lynn’s “Hometown Rising” event will be broadcast on Circle Network — a joint venture between Opry Entertainment and Gray Television — and livestreamed on Circle All Access on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, according to a statement.
“I am so honored that so many of our friends are coming together to show so much love for our neighbors and community after such a devastating loss,” the coal miner’s daughter said in a statement. “You know, we’ve all needed help from time-to-time, and that’s why when we can give back, we do.”
Torrential rains and floods devastated Humphreys County, west of Nashville, in mid-August. The area was inundated by the deluge, which dropped more than 15 inches of rain on the area in six hours, causing flash flooding that killed nearly a dozen people and destroyed hundreds of homes. Lynn’s family’s longtime ranch-hand Wayne Spears was among the victims.
A few days before Lynn’s show, embattled country star Morgan Wallen will also return to the stage to assist with flood relief after being largely cast out of the music industry last year for using a racial slur.
The “Whiskey Glasses” singer is rallying Nashville hitmakers Hardy, Dierks Bentley, Cole Swindell, Lainey Wilson, Josh Thompson, Ernest, Ben Burgess, Lathan Warlick and Jared Mullins for the gig. The acoustic Morgan Wallen & Friends concert takes place this coming Wednesday at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works and benefits the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and the Tennessee Emergency Response Fund.
After months of reflection over his casual N-word use, country music star Morgan Wallen sat down with ‘Good Morning America.’ Here are five takeaways.
“I have been touched and heartbroken by the stories I’ve heard from the recent flood and its impact,” Wallen tweeted Thursday. “Wanted to do my part to help. Proud that this is my first official show in a long time. Hope you guys can make it on such short notice.”
Tickets for the concert, taking place at the 1,500-capacity venue in Nashville, sold out in minutes, according to the Tennessean.
Meanwhile, recovery efforts across Louisiana and the northeast U.S. are still underway as numerous states deal with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida’s destruction. Country-turned-pop star Taylor Swift pledged $1 million to Louisiana flood-relief efforts last month.
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