Shelton has charted 22 singles of the country charts, including thirteen No. 1 singles. The country singer has released eight studio albums, and his 2011 release, Red River Blue, is certified platinum, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Getty ImagesIn the wake of tragedy in Moore, Okla., Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood are raising funds to help with tornado relief.
Shelton, a native of Ada, Okla., has set a date for his “Healing the Heartland” benefit concert, which will be held at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City and broadcast live on NBC.
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The concert will be held on May 29, featuring performances by Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill. NBC will broadcast the event live at 9 p.m. ET/PT, while Stye, E!, G4, Bravo and CMT also will air on a live or delayed basis.
“Everyone has their way to help, and mine as an entertainer is to perform to help raise money and awareness for this tragedy,” Shelton said. “This is why I want to do this special and especially hold it in Oklahoma City, which is near ground zero.”
Tickets go on sale May 25 at 10 a.m. CT for $25 per person, with a limit of eight tickets per person. The event will raise funds for the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund.
Days before the concert announcement, Shelton urged fans to help raise money by sharing a link on Facebook, which would prompt JC Penney to donate $1 (up to $50,000) to the American Red Cross Disaster Giving Program.
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Meanwhile, fellow country music artist Underwood — who hails from Checotah, Okla. — has taken action by donating $1 million from her Blown Away Tour to the Red Cross for relief efforts, the Associated Press reports.
“I have watched the devastation in my home state of Oklahoma over the past several days with great sadness,” Underwood said in a statement. “With the help of my fans who attended my concerts over the past year, we can offer the Red Cross a little extra help in comforting those affected by the recent tornados.”
Shelton and Underwood aren’t the only notable artists to call Oklahoma home. Toby Keith was raised in the town of Moore, and earlier this week told the AP that his sister’s home was directly in the tornado’s path. Though none of his immediately family was hurt, Keith said he is in discussions with the University of Oklahoma to plan a benefit in its football stadium.
