Eric Church has released a new song called "Darkest Hour (Helene Edit) to help victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. According to the press release, Eric will donate all of his publishing royalties for this song to the people of North Carolina. He was already working on the song, but ended up releasing earlier than he had originally planned. "I had this song that I'd written, and the line that struck me in light of the recent devastation was 'I'll come running,' because there are a lot of people out there right now who are in their darkest hour and they need people to come running," Eric explains. "We were going to wait to release music until next year, but it just didn't feel right to wait with this song. Sometimes you give songs their moment and sometimes they find their own moment." While proceeds from the song will help North Carolina, Eric's charity, the Chief Cares Fund, will help all of the communites that were affected by the storm.

Miranda Lambert and her MuttNation Foundation have created a fundraiser to provide relief for the people and animals affected by Hurricane Helene. Fans can donate through the MuttNation Relief for Rescues Fun and 100% of donations will be sent to the cause. Miranda has already donated $100,000 to help animal shelters hit by the storm, as well as emergency response efforts. "It's a very dire situation because many of the shelters that got hit were already struggling with overcrowding," she explains. "As we've been in contact with the shelters, we're also hearing really heroic stories. People are risking their lives to help. It's that type of courage that gives me hope that we'll all get through this." 

A hair and makeup artist who worked for Garth Brooks has filed a lawsuit claiming that he sexually assaulted her several times in 2019. Garth had tried to prevent her from filing the lawsuit with a preemptive complaint filed in Mississippi on September 13th. He claims that the allegations are not true and stem from his refusal to make her a salaried employee with medical benefits. She began working for Trisha Yearwood in 1999 and Garth in 2017. After the lawsuit was made public, Garth issued a statement saying, "For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars. It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face. Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behaviour that I am incapable of - ugly acts no human should ever do to another. We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides. I want to play music tonight. I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart these wonderful things are in question now. I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be."

Over the course of his career, Luke Combs has spent more than a year at number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. After his single "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma" stayed at number one for a second week, he now has a collective 53 years in the top position on that chart. Only six other country artists are part of that group...George Strait, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney and Blake Shelton. "I'm speechless honestly," Luke says of the accomplishment. "I was unaware of this until my team told me and I'm really blown away. The support from country radio for my music and fans has always been more than I ever could have imagined. I've always known they were huge supporters of my music, but this proves it in more ways than one."

Darius Rucker is mourning after the death of his longtime production manager, Jason Parkin, this week. "For nearly 25 years, Jason 'Devil Boy' Parkin was a staple in our crew. He was more than our production manager, he was our brother," Darius writes in a statement. "We are devastated by his passing this week. Our prayers are with his family - thank you for loaning him to us all these years." Jason started working for Darius and Hootie & the Blowfish in 1998 and was two months shy of his 27th work anniversary at the time of his death.

Keith Urban, Jelly Roll and Kenny Chesney are all scheduled to play at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on October 19th. Kenny Chesney and Mac MacAnally will pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett, who will receive the Musical Excellence Award posthumously. Keith Urban will play in honour of Peter Frampton, and Jelly Roll will also be part of the celebrations. The ceremony will stream live on Disney+. An induction ceremony special will air on ABC at a later date.

Rascal Flatts are hitting the road in 2025, five years after announcing and then cancelling their farewell tour because of the pandemic. "In 2020, we announced the farewell tour after being on the road extensively for 20 years," the band said in a statement. "To put it simply, we needed a break. Then COVID hit and our plans came to a screeching halt, like the rest of the world. Since then, we've been able to revisit our unique and special experience as a band and we're ready to get out on the road again. It's hard to believe that next year will be the 25th anniversary of Rascal Flatts, and that felt like the perfect time to get back in front of the fans who have given us so much." Their 21-date Life Is a Highway Tour kicks off February 13th in Evansville, Indiana. Lauren Alaina and Chris Lane are the opening acts.

Morgan Wallen made a $500,000 donation to the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts after Hurricane Helene hit east Tennessee and western North Carolina. "Those hills and hollers are very important to me in so many ways," he wrote. "It's going to take a monumental effort." Luke Combs, Eric Church, Chase Rice and Chris Lane are some of the other native North Carolinians who have pledged to help in some way.