The Luke Combs and Eric Church-helmed Concert for Carolina took place on Saturday night (Oct. 26), raising funds for those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
With a star-studded lineup that included James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Bailey Zimmerman and many others, fans were expecting an unforgettable night full of one-of-a-kind performances and special surprises. But Church and Nicole Kidman leading the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” probably wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card.
However, that’s exactly what happened when Kidman hopped onstage at the sold-out stadium event to join her country superstar husband, Keith Urban, who was one of the headliners of the night.
Kidman shared how proud she and Urban were there to be in Charlotte, N.C. for the event, which she says became a possibility “because of Eric giving Keith a call.” But she also wanted to briefly put the spotlight on her husband, who was celebrating his 57th birthday on Saturday.
“I do wanna say, it’s his birthday tonight and he went, ‘The one thing I can do….'” Kidman told the crowd during her brief time onstage, explaining that Urban was excited to spend his special day taking part in the benefit.
Before she left the spotlight, Kidman and Urban brought Church up onstage, and the Chief led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to Urban, who looked a little sheepish at the attention, but clearly enjoyed the fun, spontaneous moment.
Church stayed onstage for a duet with Urban after the birthday festivities. The two performed their 2013 duet “Raise ‘Em Up.”
The Concert for Carolina began after Combs, a North Carolina native, vowed to do something to help those in his home state impacted by the devastating storm. The show sold out Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, and it was also available to livestream on Veeps.
The proceeds from the Concert for Carolina will be split between Combs and Church’s Chief Cares Foundation. Combs will send his portion to Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC and Eblen Charities.
What to Know About Hurricane Helene
- Hurricane Helene first made landfall in Florida in late September, and over the next several days, it traveled through the southeast, leaving a trail of flooding damage and loss of life.
- More than 230 deaths were reported across six states — North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia — according to CNN.
- North Carolina returned the highest death toll. 117 people from the state lost their lives in the storm.
- Many more people remained unaccounted for after the storm, amid widespread road closures, flooding and power outages.
What Are Country Stars Doing to Help With Hurricane Relief?
- Many country stars, including those who hail from the southeast, have cut large checks or shared support for those impacted by the storms.
- Taylor Swift donated $5 million to Feeding America, sending those funds for relief efforts for both Hurricane Helene and the subsequent Hurricane Milton.
- Dolly Parton, who hails from Sevierville, Tenn., pledged $2 million in relief efforts, including a personal donation of $1 million.
- Morgan Wallen, a native of east Tennessee, made a $500,000 donation to the Red Cross to help residents of that area and the hard-hit western North Carolina region.
- Wallen also visited affected families in Tennessee, and even wrote a Bible verse on the studs of one damaged home.
- Eric Church released a song called “Darkest Hour (Helene Edit)” and earmarked the proceeds for relief efforts.
- Miranda Lambert and her MuttNation Foundation created a fundraiser for relief efforts, with a focus on aiding animal shelters hit by the storm, as well as emergency response efforts. She made a personal donation of nearly $100,000.
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