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In the wake of devastating floods across Texas Hill Country, George Strait rallied fans and fellow artists for a night of music, generosity, and healing that raised over $6.25 million (and counting) for those in need.

Held at Estancia at Thunder Valley on Sunday, July 27 and presented by Strait and his longtime Vaqueros del Mar partner Tom Cusick, the sold-out benefit concert welcomed 1,200 guests to Estancia at Thunder Valley in Boerne, Texas.

The evening kicked off with a set from the Texas Jamm Band, featuring members of Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band, followed by performances from Kyle Park, William Beckmann, Hudson Westbrook, and Ray Benson. Strait and Cusick then took the stage to welcome attendees followed by a prayer and remarks from Pastor Max Lucado.
 
“I have a bookmark that a friend gave me that’s embroidered,” Pastor Lucado shared. “On one side, it’s nothing but irregular threads. Different lengths, different colors, a lot of knots. But if you flip it over, the message embroidered says ‘God is love.’ Facing a tragedy is learning to face it from the right side. One side is irregular – it’s just knots, it doesn’t make sense. And during a time of tragedy, it’s essential that we do our very best, as difficult as it may be, to see everything from God’s perspective.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also addressed the crowd, praising the tireless work of first responders and encouraging continued support for recovery efforts. 

“There’s a saying that we’ve all repeated many times: pray as though everything is going to be taken care of by God, but act as though everything is up to you,” Governor Abbott remarked. “While we have prayed endlessly, I want you to know that we have acted endlessly also. Texas first responders have rescued or evacuated more than 1,000 people. Lives were saved because of those first responders. Give it up for our fearless first responders.”

Raised More Funds With A Live Auction

A live auction was also held before the night’s headlining performances from Wade Bowen, Randy Houser, Dean Dillon, Riley Green, and Jamey Johnson. This portion of the night helped raise even more funds benefitting the victims of the Hill Country flood.

Strait treated those in attendance to a full set of fan favorites and surprise collaborations. He opened with “The Weight of the Badge” and was joined by Garth Brooks for a rousing performance of “The Fireman” in honor of first responders. Jamey Johnson also joined Strait for “Give It Away,” while longtime collaborator Dean Dillon and Strait’s son Bubba took the stage for “Here For A Good Time.” The country icon closed things out with his poignant ballad, “The Cowboy Rides Away.”

George Strait’s Setlist:

“The Weight of the Badge”
“The Fireman” with Garth Brooks
“All My Exes”
“Give It Away” with Jamey Johnson
“I Remember You”
“The Book”
“Here For A Good Time” with Dean Dillon and Bubba Strait
“Waymore’s Blues”
“The Chair”
“Goin’ Goin’ Gone”
“Codigo”
“Amarillo by Morning”
“Troubadour”
“Take Me Back To Tulsa”
“Milk Cow Blues”
“The Cowboy Rides Away”

Where To Donate

The intimate evening not only paid tribute to the region’s resilient spirit but also offered critical aid to families hit hardest by the floods. Proceeds from the event benefit the Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to distributing direct aid to affected families and ongoing recovery efforts.
 
Additional contributions can be made at: https://donate.stripe.com/3cI14maf08Pf0vc7AV5Vu00.
 

The post George Strait Raises Over $6.25 Million for Texas Flood Relief at ‘Strait To The Heart’ Benefit appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

To Hudson Westbrook, being loyal to his home state of Texas is important both on and off the stage. With his debut album Texas Forever out now, the rising artist shares how staying true to his roots shapes everything he does.

That commitment to the Lone Star State comes through loud and clear when Westbrook talks about how he approaches his live shows and his songwriting.

“So, loyalty to Texas would mean, so to me, I’ll never run tracks in my songs. It’s going to be real drums, real everything. And if I can’t stop my live band in the middle of the show without a track playing, then I’m done making music. I don’t like tracks…Do whatever you want, whatever, but not hating. And then just melodies matter a lot, and topic of songs,” he told Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen on Today’s Country Radio.

Westbrook also wears his roots with pride by starching his jeans but stays true to his own style by often skipping out on donning a cowboy hat. For him, being a true Texan ultimately isn’t determined by what you wear or the way you sing, what’s really important is always showing up for the communities of his home state when tragedy strikes.

He is currently putting his words to action by donating all proceeds from his merch sales through the end of July to Kerr County flood victims via the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Plus, he’s made it a point on his newest record to not just say he’s country but rather to show it through his lyrics.

“That’s loyalty to Texas. It’s not… A lot of times people are like, ‘Texan brah, come on.’ I think it’s more. There’s a certain thing that if you’re from Texas, you don’t say that you’re country. You know what I mean? You don’t have to say… Nothing on my album is like, ‘I’m country.’ It’s like, ‘I’m drinking beer on a…’ It’s like, ‘Woke up this morning’ in boots and jeans.’ It’s just topics, you know? And I think that’s my favorite thing to write. I mean, if I did like writing about beer drinking, I definitely would sing a song like that. I don’t care,” he admitted.

Westbrook co-wrote each of the 17 tracks on Texas Forever alongside a close-knit group of collaborators. Together, they assembled a collection of songs that perfectly pay tribute to Texas while also representing what the emerging act’s life has looked like over the past year.

Reflecting on finally being able to share the album with the world, Westbrook stated, “It’s super special because you’re like, ‘Dang, I really worked on this since…’ There’s some songs on here from a year and a half ago, you know? And you’re like, these are the headspace I was in when I wrote that song and the headspace I was in when I wrote this song. And it’s so weird how life changes and how you look back on your album. I mean, it is who I am now, but just why every song was written is so different than why I would write them now.”

A few of the songs he particularly called out for holding new meanings now compared to the time they were written includes the title track and his debut single that’s climbing its way into the Top 10 at country radio, “House Again.”

“I wrote ‘House Again,’ didn’t even think about my I, and then I was like, ‘Hmm, where did that thought stem from?’ Then I’m like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I moved houses when I was seven years old, and then it turned into that. And then ‘Texas Forever’… Flood hits Texas, and now that the flood’s hit, ‘Texas Forever’ means something totally different this week than it ever did,” he explained.

A lot has changed for Hudson Westbrook over the past year. But one thing that will never waver, is his pride for Texas and his knack for writing songs rooted in Red Dirt.

“I’m proud to be from Texas, and I carry that with me everywhere I go. Thank you for everything – Texas Forever,” he shared via press release.

Just before releasing the album, Westbrook crossed off two major bucket list shows. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Tuesday night (7/22), and then delivered his first-ever Nashville headline show at Marathon Music Works on Wednesday (7/23).

He’s set to continue building the momentum on his current headlining 2025 Summer Tour, and will open select dates for Parker McCollum, including a bucket list performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this Thursday, July 31.

The post Hudson Westbrook Defines Texas Pride His Own Way appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Over the weekend, two of country music’s biggest stars, Morgan Wallen and Luke Bryan, experienced alarming encounters with fans who crossed the line with their behavior. These types of crowd interactions appear to be happening more frequently, possibly fueled by social media trends, but regardless of the reason, it’s not okay. Artists should never be put in a position where they feel unsafe or disrespected on stage.

On Friday, Morgan Wallen was grabbed by a fan while walking through the crowd and giving high fives during his concert at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. In fan-captured videos, an audience member is seen yanking Wallen’s hand aggressively. Clearly taken aback, Wallen turned to confront the fan before continuing toward the stage alongside security. He went on with the performance and thankfully, there were no additional incidents that night. 

@ravi3802 A fan pulled Morgan Wallen at his concert in Seattle. #morganwallen #seattle #Imtheproblem #lumenfield ♬ original sound – Interesting Things

This marks the second recent incident involving overly aggressive fans at Wallen’s shows. The week prior, during a similar walk through the crowd at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, another fan grabbed onto Wallen’s shirt and tugged him as he passed by. Judging by his reaction caught on video, he was visibly unhappy about the interaction.

Meanwhile, Luke Bryan was performing at the North Dakota State Fair when a ball, around the size of a softball, was thrown at the stage. It struck him in the head mid-song during “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).” Though he appeared to be annoyed, Bryan paused briefly before resuming the show.

@mysterious..username Absolutely CRAZY. #luke #lukebryan #ndsf #ndsf2025 #concert #fyp #viral #wtf@Luke Bryan ♬ original sound – mysterious..username

These two incidents follow a string of unruly behavior at concerts in recent months. Last fall, Megan Moroney dodged a flying hat and continued her performance of the “28th of June” without missing a beat. 

And during her HEARTFIRST Tour in 2023, Kelsea Ballerini was hit in the eye by a flying bracelet. The country star stopped the show and addressed what happened while on stage. 

“Can we talk about what just happened? All I care about is keeping everyone safe, so if you ever don’t feel safe, please let someone around you know,” she said.. “There’s security everywhere tonight. If anyone’s pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling or anything, just always flag it. Don’t throw things, you know! I just always want shows of mine — every show, for every artist — but I’m in control of this one. I just want it to be a safe place for everyone. … Can you help me do that tonight?”  

As fan behavior continues to get out of hand, moments like these are a clear reminder that respect and boundaries matter, for the safety of the artists and to protect what makes live music so special. And honestly, who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a concert just to get kicked out for making a bad decision? Let’s do better, people!

The post Morgan Wallen Grabbed, Luke Bryan Hit With Object in Back-to-Back Concert Incidents appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now