Photo credit: Catherine Powell
Multi-GRAMMY Award winner Darius Rucker brought the 17th annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert to the legendary Ryman Auditorium on Monday, June 1. The sold-out concert, in addition to the corresponding celebrity golf tournament on Tuesday, June 2 and kickoff event headlined by Walker Hayes on Sunday, May 31, raised an incredible $1.1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. These amazing events brought the 2026 fundraising total to more than $6.2 million, helping ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
The annual event presented an unforgettable night with an all-star lineup performing chart topping hits and fan favorite covers. The lineup featured Darius Rucker with Jason Aldean, Lauren Alaina, Carter Faith, Randy Houser, and Mark Wills.
“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,” said 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.”
Darius Rucker opened the concert, performing “This” and “For The First Time” before bringing out Carter Faith to perform her songs “Bar Star,” “Ain’t Over Me Yet,” and a country remix of Britney Spears’s “Oops!…I Did It Again.”
Mark Wills earned a standing ovation with a rousing rendition of “Dixieland Delight,” Lauren Alaina joined Rucker for a cover of the iconic Johnny & June duet “Jackson,” followed by her songs “Raining Whiskey” and her first No. 1 hit “Road Less Traveled,” and Jason Aldean performed hits “Fly Over States,” “How Far Does a Goodbye Go,” and “Dirt Road Anthem.”
Randy Houser’s set included a cover of Don Williams’s “Tulsa Time” and performance of “Like A Cowboy” that also drew a big standing ovation from the crowd. Following Houser, Rucker laughed as he told the crowd, “I know I can sing… But there’s only been four people I’ve ever been jealous of in my life: Luther Vandross, Steve Perry, Chris Stapleton, and Randy F*cking Houser.”
Rucker rounded off the evening with covers of Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It,” TLC’s “Waterfalls,” and Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison.” Before ending the evening with the “Darius and Friends” traditional last song: “Wagon Wheel,” which included an audience singalong, he performed an unreleased song named “The Tracks.” What another great night supporting St. Jude!
In addition to the concert, Jason Aldean, Drew Baldridge, Brandon Bauman, Chayce Beckham, George Birge, Priscilla Block, Tyler Braden, Kane Brown, Captain Keith Colburn, Dax, FILMORE, Wyatt Flores, Mack Geiger, Vince Gill, Cole Goodwin, Randy Houser, Austin Mahone, Jeff Marino, Kameron Marlowe, Drake Milligan, John Morgan, Will Moseley, Todd Nichols, Dylan Schneider, Dan Tyminski, Blake Whiten, Mark Wills and Warren Zeiders joined Rucker for the corresponding golf tournament on June 2.
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