Tenille Townes Plans Virtual Benefit With Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs
Every year since she was 15, singer-songwriter Tenille Townes has hosted and performed at the “Big Hearts for Big Kids” event, which benefits the Sunrise House homeless youth shelter in her hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta. And each year, the event has raised progressively more money for the organization. This year, with touring and live events still mostly shut down due to the pandemic, Townes is turning the event into a virtual concert and expanding her fundraising efforts into Nashville with an all-star show on June 30th.
Townes, who releases her debut album The Lemonade Stand on June 26th, will host and perform her portion of the show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. She’ll also be joined for at-home performances from guests including Dierks Bentley, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Andy Grammer, Mickey Guyton, Caylee Hammack, Ashley McBryde, Lori McKenna, Chrissy Metz, John Osborne, and Lucie Silvas. The concert will be streamed via Townes’ YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on the Bobby Bones Show’s Facebook.
“It’s just blown my mind watching the community spirit that happens every year and the way that we’ve been able to change the direction of these kids’ lives and their stories with that guidance and support,” Townes tells Rolling Stone. “Witnessing that and being on this adventure, it’s been a huge part of the dream to be able to plant seeds for what I’ve seen happen in my hometown be able to happen other places. It makes me so excited to be starting that in Nashville, and in this really weird time right now to be able to virtually wrap our arms around these kids who need us and bring people together through music.”
Proceeds from “Big Hearts for Big Kids” will again benefit Sunrise House, as well as Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee’s Troop 6000, which supports girls without permanent housing. Townes recorded a special version of “Somebody’s Daughter” with the troop in 2019.
In addition to “Somebody’s Daughter,” Townes’ album The Lemonade Stand includes the previously released songs “Jersey on the Wall (I’m Just Asking),” “White Horse,” “I Kept the Roses,” and her poignant current single, “The Most Beautiful Things.”