By Tim Saunders on
The Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, George Strait and Christopher Cross were some of the artists who hit the stage for a concert on Monday to help victims of wildfires in Texas.
The celebrity charity concert in Austin raised over $500,000 for victims of the September fires that killed two people and destroyed over 1,500 homes.
“When they called us to do this show, there was zero hesitation,” Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines told the crowd. “You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the girl.”
Willie Nelson also had words of support, after losing his own home to fire in the past: “You never really get over it. There’s nothing I can tell them to make it better except some of us have been there and done that and we survived it, and they will too. Be strong.”
Ray Benson – singer for Asleep at the Wheel and co-organizer of the event – was ecstatic about the number of stars who came out to help.
“Willie actually cancelled a show to do it,” he said. “Lyle also canceled an appearance… I just think the scope of devastation was so great and so close to home. The numbers in Bastrop were so overwhelming, how do you deal with something like that? And also you do feel … that we’re in a position to not sit on the sidelines and do something.”
The show was emceed by Kyle Chandler.
Copyright © 2011 Look to the Stars
