ABC/Image Group LA Alabama’s Randy Owen presented Darius Rucker with the Angels Among Us honor Saturday, at the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids event at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN.
The “If I Told You” hitmaker recalled the moment he was inspired to help the research hospital that works to cure childhood cancer.
“They do such amazing work at St. Jude,” Darius says. “And I always tell the story of going there years ago, probably almost a decade ago now with Dierks [Bentley]. Dierks and I were on tour together with Brad [Paisley] and he and I went to the hospital together, and I was just so moved by everybody. I was moved by the doctors and the administrators and the kids of course, who were all running around trying to get better, but being happy as they can be.”
That visit became the motivation to put together the annual Darius & Friends benefit, which is typically held every year in Nashville during the week of CMA Music Festival.
“You know I found out, just talking to everybody how nobody ever gets a bill and how much it costs a day to run the hospital and stuff like that.” Darius remembers. “I just felt like I wanted to do something on a regular basis that can help that, and we came up with some ideas and things started working out.”
Darius finished the night by playing in a star-studded Nashville-style guitar pull that included Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and Hall & Oates’ John Oates.
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