Chris Stapleton’s Sold-Out ‘A Concert For Kentucky’ Raises Over $1 Million For His Home State
Chris Stapleton recently raised over $1 million to help residents in his home state with ‘A Concert For Kentucky.’ The…
Chris Stapleton; Photo by Andy Barron
Chris Stapleton recently raised over $1 million to help residents in his home state with ‘A Concert For Kentucky.’
The concert, which took place on Saturday (April 23) at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field, featured performances by Stapleton alongside with Willie Nelson and Family, Sheryl Crow and Madeline Edwards.
The sold-out show marked the first concert ever held at the field, which is home to the Kentucky Wildcats football team.
“Every night we walk on a stage, we do our best to help people forget their troubles or celebrate or remember or hope or heal,” Stapleton wrote. “Every night we play, a portion of those profits always goes to charity.”
He went on to explain what it means to him to get to play a show that benefits causes near and dear to his heart.
”As a musician I can’t think of a greater honor than reaching a point where we can play a show for 40,000 people and give all of the profits back to a community that has been so unfailingly loyal and supportive,” Stapleton added. ”It is a tremendously pure and rewarding moment to get to provide the medicine that is music in that space. I’m grateful to everyone who came to the show and to all of the musicians, managers, agents and crew members that made this moment possible.”
His wife, Morgane, was equally excited to take the stage in support of their charitable efforts.
“It took 3 years to get back to you all & I’m so thankful this night finally got to happen. It was magic!” she said on Instagram.
The Hometown Fund is an arm of Chris and Morgane Stapleton’s charitable fund, Outlaw State Of Kind, which was founded in 2016 and is administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
The Hometown Fund is distributed by the Blue Grass Community Foundation and supports a variety of causes close to the couple’s heart in Chris’ home state of Kentucky.
The initial Hometown Fund grants include $250,000 to The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation as well as additional pledges to the American Red Cross, UK Healthcare Kentucky Children’s Hospital, the Community Foundation of Western Kentucky’s Disaster Relief Fund, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Additional Hometown Fund grants will continue to be made throughout the year, according to a press release.
Chris Stapleton is currently in the midst of his extensive All-American Road Show Tour with support from Elle King, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Margo Price, Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart, Nathaniel Ratcliff & The Night Sweats, Morgan Wade, Madeline Edwards and more on select dates.
The trek will make stops at Los Angeles’ The Forum, Denver’s Ball Arena (two nights), Chicago’s Wrigley Field, DC’s Merriweather Post Pavilion and Long Island’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater among many others.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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