In a behind-the-scenes look at the CMA Awards, American Songwriter spoke with several country stars, from Lainey Wilson and Ashley McBryde to Luke Combs and Dierks Bentley. Additionally, Eric Church shared some details of his performance, revealing the sentimentality behind his song choice.
Church released his recent single “Darkest Hour” after Hurricane Helene’s impact on Florida and the Carolinas. He performed it live at the Concert for Carolina, and will perform it again tonight at the CMAs.
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“The biggest thing for me with this performance is continuing to shed a light on Hurricane Helene and what happened to my home, which is Western North Carolina,” Church said in the behind-the-scenes segment. “The more I can raise awareness on that the more good we can do. So that’s my hope and reason for doing ‘Darkest Hour.’”
Eric Church Previously Explained the Impact of “Darkest Hour” and What He Hopes to Accomplish With the Song
Speaking with Audacy on November 19 while backstage at CMA Awards rehearsals, Eric Church revealed more details about his performance and plan for “Darkest Hour.” Specifically, his generosity was mentioned, as 100 percent of the proceeds from the song will go to hurricane relief in North Carolina.
“We gave the song to the state,” said Church. “And, beyond that, I realized pretty quick with the funds that we raised that the biggest problem that we have in this country, is we do a pretty good job at the immediate 9-1-1 need of food and water and diapers but we don’t do as well with keeping people in the community from a housing perspective.”
He continued, “So, we committed to putting 100 homes in Avery County, which is one of the counties hardest hit. That’s been the big focal point … ’Darkest Hour’ has helped raise the awareness and keep the attention,” he added. “We tend to move on as a society and those people are going to need help for a long time. It’s more of an anthem. And part of the reason I’m doing it on the CMAs is to keep the focal point on those people that still need help and I need their help.”
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