Darius Rucker Celebrates Ladies In Nation Music At Annual Fundraising Occasion

by Tiffany Goldstein

23h in the past

Fierce females in nation music flocked to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Monday (June 6) night to take part within the thirteenth Annual Darius & Associates profit live performance for St. Jude Kids’s Analysis Hospital.

All through the years, the dwell public sale and must-see present have change into the unofficial kick-off to CMA Fest week in Music Metropolis. The “Beers And Sunshine” singer referred to as in icon Sheryl Crow, Lindsay Ell, Sara Evans, Caylee Hammack, and Rachel Wammack to begin the social gathering on the best foot.

It’s been practically 15 years because the Hootie and the Blowfish frontman made a dedication to assist St. Jude. On the time, Rucker was simply embarking on his solo profession in nation music and was opening up for Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley throughout a summer time trek. Whereas on a cease in Memphis, Bentley inspired Rucker to hitch him on a visit to St. Jude’s headquarters. The short tour of the hospital impressed Rucker to drive their initiative and prioritize philanthropic work.

“I’m seeing the youngsters and the medical doctors and the directors and all the things, and I’m speaking to 1 administrator, and she or he says, ‘Yeah, when you’re from Canada or America, Boise or Atlanta or Sanford, while you convey your child to St. Jude, we fly you in, we put you up, we feed you, and we by no means ship you a invoice,’” he recalled throughout the star-studded affair. “You recognize what I mentioned after they mentioned that to me? I mentioned, ‘Bull–.’ However I began speaking to folks, and it’s true. That day I mentioned I wished to do one thing to assist, even in my little means. I’m doing this for St. Jude and likewise doing it for the nice city of Nashville,” he added.

As music stuffed the legendary venue, the group of performers and the viewers by no means overpassed the first objective that introduced all of them collectively – to assist the kids battling most cancers and different life-threatening ailments.

Whereas elevating consciousness and cash, Darius took the stage a whopping 16 occasions to carry out hits from his spectacular repertoire and to duet with the main women. Every musician on the secretive lineup was requested to play originals and a well known cowl.

The early 2000s hitmaker Sara Evans was the primary to take the highlight to carry out originals “Suds within the Bucket,” “A Little Bit Stronger,” and a chilling cowl of Yvonne Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You.”

Breakout star Rachel Wammack adopted and delivered fan-favorite “Bless Your Little Coronary heart,” and Miranda Lambert’s chart-topping traditional, “Little Pink Wagon.” Former CMT Subsequent Ladies of Nation member, Caylee Hammack wowed with “Household Tree,” “Solid In The Fireplace,” a rendition of Johnny Money’s “Folsom Jail Blues,” and closed out by singing “By no means Been” with Rucker. Within the midst of her set, she informed a heart-wrenching story of how she misplaced her home in 2017 to fireside and shared a quote about power.

Nation-rock legend Sheryl Crow pushed the three-hour live performance alongside by pulling “If It Makes You Completely satisfied” and “On a regular basis Is A Winding Street” from her 1996 self-titled report. The hitmaker and Rucker joined forces to share her No.1 smash hit, “The First Lower Is The Deepest.” Lindsay Ell took the stage full drive and matched Crow’s electrifying power together with her just lately launched monitor “Proper On Time,” “I Don’t Love You,” and a rare rendition of Stevie Marvel’s “Superstition.”

Simply earlier than Rucker closed out the night time along with his people-pleasing hit “Wagon Wheel,” a resilient myeloid leukemia survivor named Addie took heart stage to share her story and expertise with St. Jude.

“It was actually the scariest second of my life. I used to be 15 on the time. So, I used to be only a regular highschool child, and my complete life was flipped the wrong way up in a matter of minutes,” she mentioned about her life-altering prognosis. “However now right here I’m, and I’m 5 years most cancers free.”

With a roaring spherical of applause, the brave particular person tackled “By no means Sufficient” by Loren Allred. The overall from the touching fundraiser has but to be calculated. Live performance-goers had the chance to bid on a Brooks & Dunn/ Darius Ricker VIP expertise for $4,000, a guitar signed by 17 stars for 15,000, an acoustic guitar autographed by Rucker, and so on. Tickets to the occasion began at $50 and ranged to $150. Up to now, the occasion has raised greater than $2.5 million.

To be taught extra about St. Jude Kids’s Analysis Hospital and to donate, head to St.jude.org.