Some of country and folk’s biggest names, both legends and young blood, have joined forces for a great cause.
Earlier this month, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a category four storm in Florida. It moved north, causing extreme damage, particularly in western North Carolina. CNN reports 72 dead in the city of Asheville, the hardest hit city in the hurricane’s path. Despite President Joe Biden dispatching thousands of troops to the area to aid in recovery, folks in the affected areas are still without power and resources, along with the tremendous loss of life and property.
Last week it was announced that in support of Asheville, some of country and folk’s biggest artists would come together in North Carolina. On October 26, Luke Combs, James Taylor, Eric Church, and Billy Strings will play a benefit concert in Charlotte, North Carolina, with proceeds going to a variety of charities and foundations to support Asheville.
The proceeds will be split half and half between Eric Church’s “Chief Cares” foundation, and Luke Comb’s choice of charities, which include Manna Food Bank, Samaritan’s Purse, and Second Harvest Food Bank for Northwestern NC.
Concert for Carolina
Dubbed “Concert for Carolina”, three of the four headliners — Combs, Church, and Taylor — grew up and developed musically in North Carolina. The highest civilian honor in the state, the “North Carolina Award” was awarded to both James Taylor in 1998 and Eric Chruch in 2022.
Combs and Church are some of the biggest names in the 2020’s country scene. Combs secured another hit single earlier this year with “Ain’t No Love From Oklahoma”, which comes along with three successful albums in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Church released the triple album series Heart, &, Soul, three separate projects (two albums and an EP) in 2021, and has collaborated with artists such as Combs in the years following.
Billy Strings is a pioneer in modern bluegrass. His 2019 album Home won the “Best Bluegrass Album” award at the Grammys, and he’s continued the momentum with three albums this decade, including Highway Prayers released in late September.
Unlike the younger blood that accompanies him on the bill, James Taylor has long since achieved legend status. Known for his fantastic guitar skills and excellent storytelling abilities, Taylor’s hits have been instrumental to the development of country, folk, and even pop. He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received Kenedy Center Honors, while songs like “Fire and Rain” and “You’ve Got A Friend” remain radio staples to this day.
Additional support includes more staples of the genre such as Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, and Bailey Zimmerman. Tickets for the Concert for Carolina at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina are on sale now.
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