Nicole, Keith, Brad, Kenny, Sheryl & Martina Raise $1.7 Million for Nashville Relief

Country superstars align for Music City Keep On Playin', a benefit for the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

By Gina Serpe May 17, 2010 2:15 PMTags

They done good.

The superstars of country aligned in Nashville last night for Music City Keep on Playin'—A Benefit for Flood Relief, a telethon to benefit those hit by the disastrous floods that overtook much of Middle Tennessee.

Brad Paisley got the party started right, as he and wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who cohosted the three-hour event with Desperate Housewives' James Denton, personally donated $100,000 to the cause.

"It's such a great thing to see all these wonderful people out there," he said. "It's time we start this off with a donation."

Dierks Bentley offered up a hefty donation of his own, ponying up $44,000 for the cause. Taylor Swift was not at the event, but previously donated $500,000.

At last count, more than $1.7 million had been raised, all of which will go to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, to help those most affected by the flooding.

"I lost a big portion of this property," Kenny Chesney said of his completely waterlogged 40-acre plot of land. "But a lot of people in this city lost their lives and their livelihood. Keep Middle Tennessee in your prayers."

Among the artists pulling together for the sold-out performance: Bentley, Sam Bush, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Keb' Mo', CeCe Winans, Martina McBride and Will Hoge.

Other stars, including Nicole Kidman, Kellie Pickler and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean lent their celebrity to the telethon phone banks.

"We stay optimistic here in Middle Tennessee," Urban said before he and Kidman took their seats at the phone bank. "This town has been good to us. We had our little girl Sunday Rose here, and we are going over there to do our part."

Donations can still be made by going to GACTV.com/help or by sending the text message "GAC" to 501501. The $10 goes directly to CFMT.

"We're not asking for a bailout, we've been bailing out for two weeks," Nashville native Denton said. "We're just asking for your help."

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