By Eileen Reslen
One thing’s for sure-not even Mother Nature can take the music out of the home of country music.
After a devastating flood that placed a dark cloud over the southern capital, some of Hollywood’s finest stars came together to bring joy and great tunes back to Nashville.
Country music’s elite, including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and country’s number one couple, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, put their best voices forward for the charity concert Nashville Rising: A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery, Tuesday night (June 22).
Never short of showing some good ol’ southern hospitality, country’s favorite sweetheart Taylor said singing for a good cause was something she knew she wanted to be a part of.
“As soon as I even heard a rumor that they're putting something together, I just volunteered and I said I want to do this and I want to help out,” Taylor said. “It's really wonderful that Tim and Faith stepped to action so quickly. I'm just really happy to be a part of it."
The award winning songstress, who moved to Nashville at the age of 14 to pursue her dreams, said it was really inspiring seeing her former neighbors lending each other a helping hand.
“It’s been really cool to see everybody get back on their feet,” she said. “Thankfully the people that are close to me that lost their houses have found different places to live and I've really seen them just help each other.”
The recently engaged Carrie let her wedding plans take a backseat to the benefit event because when she heard the horror stories surrounding the flood crisis, she too knew she had to take action.
"You hear everything from people losing possessions to entire houses being gone. I've heard of people living in tents in their backyard," she said. "You just hear the worst of the worst and hope that in some way there's something you can do about it. It is for a good cause so I feel like everyone has a happy giving. You look out there and everybody's at their best."
And after what was surely an eventful Father’s Day weekend (Miley Cyrus had a string of live performances and her album debuted on Monday), father and daughter, Billy Ray and Miley, rounded up the effort to support the people who Billy Ray said always welcomes them with open arms.
"You know it's always great to come home. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances, [but] to feel the energy from the crowd, the band — everybody's coming together with a common cause," he said of the evening. "It seemed to be quite a homecoming and for a good reason. I think that Nashville is going to survive this with their heads held high."
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