Luke Combs said when he saw the destruction in his home state in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Eric Church was “the first guy I called.”
The two award-winning country stars teamed up with Billy Strings and James Taylor. The four artists will headline Concert for Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, with proceeds going to relief efforts, they recently announced. Combs and Church spoke about the event in an interview on Good Morning America on Tuesday (October 8).
“I was obviously at home watching the news the day after everything started coming out about the storm there, and this was the first guy I called,” Combs said in the interview, gesturing toward Church. “You know, I know how much our state means to him and to myself, and I knew that he would be willing to do whatever it took to help out.”
Combs and Church, both from North Carolina, spoke about the upcoming event and ways that they’re helping those impacted by the hurricane. Church said on Good Morning America that he “wouldn’t be who I am today if not for the people there, and the community there. And to see this happen to them, to that community, to those people, is especially devastating.” Church also spoke about “Darkest Hour,” his first solo release in more than three years.
Church previously shared that “Darkest Hour” was planned to appear on a project the singer-songwriter is working on for next year. However, it “just fit the moment” now. Church released it on Friday (October 4), and signed over publishing royalties to support people in North Carolina. He also pointed people to Chief Cares, aiming to serve as a sustained effort to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and other states. Church said when he recently spoke with iHeartCountry stations in Asheville: “I’ve come running. We’re on our way.”
ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley will host Concert for Carolina, which is set for Saturday, October 26. Additional artists will be announced at a later date (Combs and Church did not offer hints when they appeared on Good Morning America, but assured additional details will arrive shortly).
Concert for Carolina tickets will be available on Thursday (October 10) at 10 a.m. ET.