Darius Rucker brought friends, fans, and country’s biggest names together for another sold-out night at the Ryman Auditorium for the 17th annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert, raising $1.1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year’s effort, which included a a kickoff show led by Walker Hayes and a celebrity golf tournament, pushes the event’s lifetime total past $6.2 million in support of St. Jude’s mission to ensure families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
The sold-out night at the Ryman Auditorium featured a stacked lineup including Jason Aldean, Lauren Alaina, Carter Faith, Randy Houser, and Mark Wills joining Rucker on stage for a mix of hits, collaborations, and crowd-wide singalongs. The evening concluded with a massive “Wagon Wheel” finale.
“Every year it amazes me how quick my friends are to say ‘yes’ to joining us here at the Ryman – and then you guys sell out the show without even knowing who’s going to come sing with us,” shared Rucker. “It’s incredible. I can’t thank everyone enough for the generosity and the eagerness to come out and support the wonderful work St. Jude is doing.”
From auction items, including one heck of an auction battle which resulted in a winning bid of $20,000 for a guitar signed by all the performing artists, to surprise duets, the night stayed high-energy while keeping the focus on giving back.
Now in its 17th year, “Darius and Friends” continues to blend big moments in country music with a consistent mission which is rallying the genre’s community around St. Jude and turning a night at the Ryman into real-world impact.