On Oct. 11, country music stars Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers continued their relief and recovery efforts in the wake of the devastating Kentucky floods that claimed the lives of 43 people and displaced hundreds.
The Kentucky Rising benefit concert, held at Lexington's Rupp Arena, raised over $2.5 million to support flood relief in Eastern Kentucky. Working with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the Kentucky Rising Fund will use the entirety of the funds to support both immediate needs and long-term recovery projects.
University of Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops said it best when he told the crowd "Eastern Kentuckians are the most resilient, hardworking people around, but they still need our help." As part of a show bill that will go down in Kentucky music history, Childers (Lawrence County Native) and Stapleton (Johnson County Native) joined Pikeville's Dwight Yoakam and surprise guests and Hall of Famers, Lawrence County's Ricky Skaggs and Pikeville's Patty Loveless in helping Eastern Kentuckians.
Although 14,000 were in attendance, the Kentucky Rising team didn't stop at selling out the arena. Tickets for an exclusive livestream of the event were also available for just $20. Event-exclusive merchandise was sold with the help of an Eastern Kentucky small business New Frontier, owned and operated by Kentucky native brothers Jared and Josh Ravenscraft.
The night was a celebration of the tradition and culture that inhabits the hills of Kentucky; Stapleton joined Yoakam on his coal-country cry "Miner's Prayer." Then, the newest inductee into the legends of County Music Highway US 23, Tyler Childers, along with and his band The Food Stamps, performed a soulful rendition of "Way of The Triune God," from latest release Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? and fan favorites "Lady May," "Honky Tonk Flame" and "Universal Sound," in addition to The Food Stamps' iconic cover of "Tulsa Turnaround" and new jam "Rustin' In The Rain."
Madylin Goins
Childers recently caught viral attention from his cover of S.G. Goodman's "Space and Time," which he performed at Healing Appalachia. He turned heads by welcoming Goodman (of Hickman, Ky.) to the stage to sing the song herself after it became a staple to Childers' setlist.
He wasn't done quite yet, Stapleton joined Childers for an intimate performance of "Follow You To Virgie," an unrecorded crowd favorite of Childers' which tells the story of mourning the grandmother of a close friend after growing up with them in Virgie, Kentucky, before welcoming Yoakam to the stage. It was a full circle moment for Childers as the song made its Rupp-Arena Stage debut alongside the 8-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton.
Yoakam nods to the cause and Eastern Kentucky's resilience as he says "When it rains, it floods. And when that happens in Kentucky, people get back up." He pays homage to his Kentucky roots with "Floyd County" and "Readin,' Rightin,' Route 23." Fitted in flashy western wear, Yoakam and his band sent the crowd back to the heart of '90s country with hits like "Fast as You," "Guitars, Cadillacs" and "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere."
Madylin Goins
After a special introduction from University of Kentucky Football coach Mark Stoops, Stapleton took the stage alongside his wife Morgane. Stapleton spent time with tracks from nearly his entire catalog, going from "Parachute" to "Starting Over," and performed crowd favorites "Fire Away," "Midnight Train to Memphis" and "Nobody To Blame." And although he sings of "Tennessee Whiskey," Stapleton pledged his loyalty to Kentucky bourbon. He took time to reflect on the devastation summer floods caused,
"You did a good thing tonight," Stapleton said to the crowd before dedicating "Broken Halos" to those that had been lost in the flood. "Just know that."
Madylin Goins
Stapleton took plenty of opportunities to share the spotlight in a show-stealing set, which found the singer-songwriter welcoming Ricky Skaggs to the stage for a cover of "Bury Me Beneath The Willow" and a rendition of Skaggs' "Coal Minin' Man."
Morgane Stapleton performs at Kentucky Rising. Photo by Madylin Goins
Kentucky-born country legend Patty Loveless also graced the stage — a surprise to all. "It all just came together last week," Loveless said. "I just can't say no to Chris."
Loveless was met with echoing applause as she belted out "Well, I was born a Coal Miner's Daughter....," an unspoken tribute to the beloved country music icon Loretta Lynn (of Butcher Hollow, Ky.), who passed away on Oct. 4. Loveless then led a chilling rendition of London, Ky. son Darrell Scott's "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive." Loveless picked up right where she left off, welcoming Stapleton to join her for a duet of her '94 hit "You Don't Even Know Who I Am."
Though the crowd was left in awe following the night's guest appearances, nothing can hold a candle to the grand finale. Stapleton called everyone back to the stage to cover the late John Prine's "Paradise," an ode to Prine's childhood in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Yoakam, Childers, Loveless and Goodman take turns professing a shared love for their home state through the lyrics. Backed with Skaggs' best-in-the-business mandolin solos, Chase Lewis (of The Food Stamps) accompanied on the accordion and Jesse Wells (of The Food Stamps) filling in the gaps with his trusty fiddle.
When I die let my ashes float down the Green River
Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester dam
I'll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waitin'
Just five miles away from wherever I am.
And Daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay
Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking
Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away
You can still contribute to the Kentucky Rising Fund for flood relief and recovery efforts in Eastern Kentucky by visiting here.
