NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An initial list of country music stars has aligned with CMT to raise money for tornado victims across the South.
Hank Williams Jr., Alabama, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban and Tim McGraw will join other stars in a 90-minute benefit concert for tornado relief May 12 in Nashville. Proceeds from the special will go to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
Alabama was especially hard hit by tornadoes and Williams initially thought he might do a local benefit for his former home state. But after some thought he reached out to CMT and suggested a benefit.
"I don't want to raise $50,000," Williams said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I want to raise a lot of money. And I want people who are motivated to be part of it as we try to help these devastated folks."
The CMT benefit marks the second time in a year stars have gathered to raise money following a disaster after bringing in millions for flood relief in Nashville in 2010.
The lineup also includes Ronnie Dunn and Sara Evans with others to be announced later.
Last week's tornado outbreak was the second deadliest in U.S. history. It killed 329 people across seven states and left stretches of the South from Mississippi to Virginia in ruin. Alabama was hardest hit with 236 deaths.
"Basically home for me is Alabama," Williams said. "That's where mama and daddy are buried. That's probably where I'm going to be. And I have lots of friends in Tuscaloosa. And, you know, I lived in Cullman for a long time, and Cullman was flattened."
Also see: Keith Urban Photos
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Associated Press writer Caitlin R. King in Nashville, Tenn., contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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