Former presidents to headline concert benefiting hurricane relief efforts

The George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation has announced a hurricane relief concert at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena. The event will be the evening of October 21 and will feature former Presidents Obama, Bush 41 and 43, Clinton and Carter joined by top music performers.

All ticket sales and other proceeds from the Deep From the Heart: The One America Appeal concert will go to the special hurricane recovery effort launched last month by the five living former U.S. presidents.

Together with all five presidents, the show at Reed Arena will feature Grammy winners and producers of 43 #1 hits, ALABAMA, joined by Texas legends The Gatlin Brothers, four-time Grammy winner Lyle Lovett, and Robert Earl Keen.

Other artists to include legendary Grammy-award winning, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer ‘Soul Man’ Sam Moore; gospel legend Yolanda Adams; season three winner of NBC’s “The Voice,” Cassadee Pope; and rising country artist Stephanie Quayle, who Rolling Stone Country called one of the “Ten New Country Music Artists You Need to Know.”

Country music star Lee Greenwood will emcee the event.

“The 43rd President and I, and our distinguished colleagues in this 'One America Appeal,' are very grateful to these wonderful performers for giving their time and talent to help the urgent cause of hurricane recovery in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean,” said President George Herbert Walker Bush (41). “It’s important that those affected by these devastating storms know that, even if the path to recovery feels like a road that goes on forever, we’re with them for the long haul."

Originally, the former presidents were inspired to come together in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which unleashed devastating flooding that threatened hundreds of thousands of Texans and spurred thousands of first responders and neighbors into action. The effort has since expanded twice to include recovery efforts in Florida from Hurricane Irma and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from Hurricane Maria.

A special restricted account has been established through the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation to collect and distribute donations. Funds will be distributed to:

• Houston Harvey Relief Fund, focusing on the greater Houston region
• Rebuild Texas Fund, assisting hurricane-ravaged communities across the state
• Florida Disaster Fund
• Juntos y Unidos Por Puerto Rico, launched by First Lady Beatriz Rossello and a private sector coalition
• The Fund for the Virgin Islands

Every dollar raised through ticket sales of Deep From the Heart will go to designated hurricane recovery funds.

Tickets for the concert are now on sale at https://bush41.org/deep-from-the-heart.

The One America Appeal was launched September 7th when all five living former presidents aired a joint PSA on the NFL’s regular season opening broadcast and launched a website accepting tax-deductible donations at OneAmericaAppeal.org. 

Copyright The Gayly 10/5/17 @7:50 a.m.