As the Southeast continues to strive for recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, the music community of North Carolina and the wider country is banding together to support the areas most dramatically effected by the storm. On Saturday, Oct. 26, this effort will come to a head with a high-profile benefit concert to be headlined by Billy Strings, Luke Combs, Eric Church and James Taylor. Staging at Charlotte, N.C.’s Bank of America Stadium, this grassroots effort will direct all proceeds to organizations supporting disaster relief in the Carolinas and broader Southeast region.
All four of the artists set to lead the Concert for Carolina have a personal relation to the region. Combs, Church and Taylor were raised in Asheville, Granite Falls and Chappel Hill respectively, and the three renowned artists regularly attribute their connection with music to their Tar Heel State backgrounds with songs like Combs’ “Used To Wish I Was,” Taylor’s iconic “Carolina in My Mind” and Church’s “Darkest Hour,” released on Friday to raise funds for his home state. Though rooted in Michigan, Strings has forged a powerful bond with North Carolina over the years as a hub for some of his earliest and most passionate fans, who regularly bring the bluegrass golden boy to perform at stages like Asheville, N.C.’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena, where he will set six shows from Feb. 6 to 16 of next year.
The artists jumped into motion immediately as the destruction began last weekend, mobilizing all their connections to jump-start production on a fundraising event. A call placed to Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC and Bank of America Stadium owner David Tepper and his wife Nicole Tepper was particularly fruitful, as the couple quickly offered the Stadium as a no-cost venue for the program. Other participants include he event by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley, who will host the benefit, and a slate of further performing artists still to be announced.
All proceeds from the event–including the growing list of household name sponsorships–will be split evenly between Combs and Church’s Chief Cares Foundation. Combs’ portion of the proceeds will be channeled to Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, plus one final yet-unannounced recipient. Church’s Chief Cares Foundation will support established charitable organizations in the region and their efforts to expedite aid directly to the families affected by Hurricane Helene in an organized, sustainable system.
Tickets for the Concert for Carolina will go on-sale this Thursday, October 10, at 10:00 a.m. ET. For more information, visit concertforcarolina.com. Those unable to attend the event can support North Carolina’s recovery through the North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund or any of the charities listed on the event site.
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