Darius Rucker Raises Over 815K for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital With Help From Morgan Wallen

Kicking off today, the CMA Fest looked to completely take over Nashville with numerous stages offering a slew of performers like Jason Aldean, Riley Green, Ella Langley, and more. But even before the first performer went on, Darius Rucker decided to hold his own concert. And although taking the stage, the event had little to do with the country singer as he shined the light on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Kicking off the Darius and Friends benefit concert, the country singer raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the hospital. 

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Outside of Rucker hosting the 16th annual concert, the night also welcomed Luke Bryan, Austin Williams, Morgan Wallen, and several others. With fans loving the concert, the event brought in over $815,000 for St. Jude’s. Looking over the history of the concert, Rucker helped donate more than $5.1 million.

Knowing how much the concert mattered, Wallen jumped at the chance to help. And thankfully, one fan had their phone ready when the singer took the stage. Having somewhat secluded himself from the spotlight, the singer didn’t skip a beat as he performed “20 Cigarettes” from his newest hit album I’m The Problem. The album not only came packed with over 30 songs, but it also dominated the charts and airwaves. 

[RELATED: Darius Rucker Surprises with Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan at Ryman Auditorium]

Darius Rucker Was Proud To Be Part Of The Support

As for what fans thought of the performance, comments included, “Does this man sleep? Wasn’t he just in London? This new album is no joke.” Another person added, “I just know I would get in trouble with this man.” And if that wasn’t enough, one fan was simply amazed with Wallen’s ability to memorize songs. “Do y’all ever wonder how these performers memorize so many songs? I can barely remember a grocery list.” 

For Rucker, the night was more about the children’s hospital than the performance. Recalling one of his first visits to the hospital, the singer said, “When we visited St. Jude’s campus in 2008, I pledged to help and here we are. The work they’re doing – the research, the breakthroughs – it’s incredible. And I’ll say this over-and-over; what gets me every time is knowing that families never get a bill. Not for treatment, travel, housing or food.”

Mesmerized by that level of compassion, Rucker knew he wanted to be part of it. “That kind of support changes everything for families going through extraordinary circumstances, and I’m proud that my friends and I can be a small part of that relief.”

(Photo by RW/MediaPunch/Shutterstock)