Sandra Bullock also showed off some singing skills, delivering a few bars of Deep Purple's 'Smoke on the Water' before introducing Faith Hill's performance.
- Jun 23, 2010
AceShowbiz - A star-studded gig dubbed "Nashville Rising: A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery" was just wrapped at the Bridgestone Arena on June 22. Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus were among the musical guests of the Tuesday evening which began with footage about the recent flood.
Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Gov. Phil Bredesen, Mayor Karl Dean, Titans coach Jeff Fisher and Titans quarterback Vince Young then greeted concertgoers. Faith said, "Nashville will rise, and that is why we have come together tonight. Musicians, football players, coaches, our elected officials, you in the audience, yes, we are all the same. We're just neighbors who care and friends who want to make a difference."
Carrie Underwood was the first performer. She sang "Undo It", "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "How Great Thou Art". She received standing ovation, telling the crowd "I think I can speak for all of us when I say we're glad to be here tonight for this cause."
Taylor took the stage afterwards, delivering "You Belong With Me" and "Love Story". While on stage, the 20-year-old country music singer told the concertgoers, "You're my friends and my neighbors, and this is the place I love most in the world." As for Miley, this "Can't Be Tamed" singer brought "The Climb".
Other contributors of the gig included Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Martina McBride and Miranda Lambert. Brooks & Dunn were also supposed to appear at the fund-raising concert but they were forced to cancel it because Ronnie Dunn reportedly is battling a sore throat. Appearing as a surprise guest, meanwhile, was Sandra Bullock who went onto the stage to introduce Faith Hill's performance.
"They say a community is only as strong as its weakest link," the actress began her speech. "And from where I stand, I see no weak links." She continued by teasing about what she might do for the Tuesday night's gig, "I'll have a wardrobe malfunction or do something interesting. But when they told me how much you all contributed, I realized I had to do more than be funny. So, I'm going to contribute some music and do it Nashville style."
She then sat on a high chair and placed a guitar on her lap. "If I can have some quiet please," she said before strumming some riffs of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water". After delivering a few bars, she joked that she wasn't a good singer and so invited Faith to take the stage for a performance.
Tickets for the concert ranged from $25 to $1,000 (for VIP packages). Tim McGraw estimated that the event would raise between 2 and 3 million dollars for the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
