Can you imagine being a country star putting on a benefit concert in Los Angeles, and having people pay hundreds of dollars to watch you perform, only to stop the show because some bigwig Hollywood-type is calling you? That's something we can only dream about. But for Dwight Yoakam, it was reality.
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The situation occurred on Jan. 28 at the Roxy Theatre, located right on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. The "Ain't That Lonely Yet" singer was putting on a benefit for Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in a show titled Dwight Yoakam & Friends: Rockin' for the Kids.
Country music stars Charley Crockett, Marcus King, and Lukas Nelson appeared with Yoakam at the show. But one star on the bill, a Hollywood actor, no less, couldn't make it. So the celebrity did the next best thing: he called Yoakam instead.
Who Called Dwight Yoakam During a Show?
While Yoakam was performing "What Do You Know About Love," his wife told him that someone important was on the phone. The songwriter and occasional actor stopped the show to answer the call. It was a FaceTime from Landman star Billy Bob Thornton.
"Hey, man. What are you doing? You're supposed to be here, but where are you?" asked Yoakam.
Thornton was across the country in New Jersey because of an ice storm. The actor was bundled up in his coat, complaining about the frigid conditions. He then took a moment to thank the audience for their support.
"Anyway, I just wanted to say that for the Children's Hospital of L.A., this is a great thing that you are doing," he said. "I'm so happy that you all are doing... Thank you all for showing up for this cause, because that's what we're here for. We are here to help the future generation."
Of course, Thornton's absence meant that the crowd would miss out on him and Yoakam performing the song "Sylvia's Mother" from Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
Rockin' for the Kids came from Yoakam's desire to give back to CHLA. His son had a brief stay there several years ago.
"When you walk the halls of a children's hospital, it changes you," said Yoakam in a statement. "It puts all of life in a very graphic perspective. As Emily and I were there with our own child, we saw so many families facing battles no one hopes to ever have to endure.
"And while we were fortunate to not face those challenges, that experience never left us. Rockin' for the Kids is our way of saying thank you to Dr. Krieger and the entire staff at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, on behalf of every family who puts their trust in them every single day."
You can check out a video of Yoakam and Thornton below.
