Darius Rucker unofficially kicked-off the 2010 CMA Music Festival on Monday (6/7) with his inaugural Darius and Friends St. Jude benefit concert. The event, which featured performances by Radney Foster, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, and Jake Owen, successfully sold-out the Wildhorse Saloon, raising $48,720 for St. Jude cancer research.
Upon hearing the news, Rucker raved, “I got to perform three songs with Radney Foster – the man who inspired me to get into music! I could not have envisioned a better night. I’m so thankful to the staff at St. Jude, my management team at McGhee Entertainment, the artists, my band, and everyone that made this event such a success.”
In addition to hits from his solo country record, Learn to Live, Rucker performed classics like Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away” with Randy Houser. Following Owen’s performance, Rucker rejoined his band to perform his new single, “Come Back Song,” for the first time. The single will impact radio on June 28 and will appear on his sophomore album on Capitol Records Nashville, slated to hit shelves this October.
The evening’s finale, a performance of “Family Tradition,” featured all the artists on stage as well as a surprise guest appearance by Kid Rock on guitar.
