Darius Rucker Surpasses $6.2 Million Raised For St. Jude

Official Announcement | Published: Jun 04, 2026 3:39 PM EDT

(EBM) Multi-GRAMMY Award winner Darius Rucker welcomed friends and fans to a sold-out Ryman Auditorium on Monday, June 1, for the 17th annual "Darius and Friends" benefit concert, which was paired with a corresponding celebrity golf tournament Tuesday, June 2, and kickoff event headlined by Walker Hayes on Sunday, May 31, raising a massive $1.1 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The 2026 effort brings the all-time fundraising total to more than $6.2 million, helping ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.

The annual event once again combined unforgettable music with a shared commitment to supporting the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. This year's sold-out show featured performances from Rucker alongside Jason Aldean, Lauren Alaina, Carter Faith, Randy Houser and Mark Wills.

"Every year it amazes me how quick my friends are to say 'yes' to joining us here at the Ryman - and then you guys sell out the show without even knowing who's going to come sing with us," mused Rucker. "It's incredible. I can't thank everyone enough for the generosity and the eagerness to come out and support the wonderful work St. Jude is doing."

The spirit of generosity was evident from the opening moments of the evening. Fundraising efforts got off to a remarkable start, with an intense bidding war for a guitar signed by all participating artists setting the tone for the night as it topped out at a $20,000 winning bid during the live auction hosted by the Big 98's Wayne D and Tay. Additional auction moments - including signed items and premium seating opportunities - continued to inspire enthusiastic support from the crowd.

Throughout the night, the historic Ryman Auditorium felt more like a gathering of friends than a concert venue, with the audience remaining an active part of the show from the opening notes through the final encore. The sold-out crowd was on their feet as soon as Rucker opened the evening with his own hits before welcoming Carter Faith to the stage for a performance of her own songs as well as a crowd-pleasing country remix of Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again."

From there, Rucker mixed his own songs with collaborations and special moments. Mark Wills earned a standing ovation with a rousing rendition of "Dixieland Delight," while Lauren Alaina joined Rucker for a playful cover of the legendary Johnny & June duet "Jackson" and Jason Aldean thrilled fans with his own chart-topping hits.

One of the night's most memorable moments came during Randy Houser's set, with both a high-energy cover of Don Williams' "Tulsa Time" and a powerhouse performance of "Like A Cowboy" that drew one of the evening's biggest standing ovations. Following the performance, Rucker laughed as he told the crowd, "I know I can sing... But there's only been four people I've ever been jealous of in my life: Luther Vandross, Steve Perry, Chris Stapleton and Randy F*cking Houser."

As the evening reached a fever pitch, Rucker led the audience on a nostalgic trip through the '90s with a Tim McGraw meets TLC meets Bell Biv DeVoe medley that had fans nearly drowning out the stage with their own voices. The evening then ended according to tradition, with a massive "Wagon Wheel" singalong concluding another unforgettable night in support of St. Jude.

This year's milestone fundraising event adds yet another successful page to the nearly two-decade history of "Darius and Friends." Prior guests have included Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, John Daly, Dan + Shay, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Jelly Roll, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Megan Moroney, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers, Tommy Thayer of KISS and Morgan Wallen, among many others.

In addition to the concert, Jason Aldean, Drew Baldridge, Brandon Bauman, Chayce Beckham, George Birge, Priscilla Block, Tyler Braden, Kane Brown, Captain Keith Colburn, Dax, FILMORE, Wyatt Flores, Mack Geiger, Vince Gill, Cole Goodwin, Randy Houser, Austin Mahone, Jeff Marino, Kameron Marlowe, Drake Milligan, John Morgan, Will Moseley, Todd Nichols, Dylan Schneider, Dan Tyminski, Blake Whiten, Mark Wills and Warren Zeiders joined Rucker for the corresponding golf tournament.

The annual fundraising event was made possible with support from generous sponsors AMD and The Law Office of Jennifer McCoy.

"Darius and Friends" 2026 Set List:
Darius Rucker: "This"
Darius Rucker: "For The First Time"
Carter Faith: "Bar Star"
Carter Faith: "Ain't Over Me Yet"
Carter Faith: "Oops!... I Did It Again" (Britney Spears cover)
Darius Rucker: "Don't Think I Don't Think About It"
Darius Rucker: "Southern State of Mind"
Mark Wills: "Jacob's Ladder"
Mark Wills: "19 Somethin'"
Mark Wills: "Dixieland Delight" (Alabama cover)
Darius Rucker: "Only Wanna Be With You" (Hootie & the Blowfish)
Darius Rucker: "Beers And Sunshine"
Darius Rucker & Lauren Alaina: "Jackson" (Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash cover)
Lauren Alaina: "Raining Whiskey"
Lauren Alaina: "Road Less Traveled"
Darius Rucker: "Homegrown Honey"
Darius Rucker: "Come Back Song"
Randy Houser: "Back in the Bottle"
Randy Houser: "Tulsa Time" (Don Willams cover)
Randy Houser: "Like A Cowboy"
Darius Rucker: "If I Told You"
Darius Rucker: "Alright"
Jason Aldean: "Fly Over States"
Jason Aldean: "How Far Does a Goodbye Go"
Jason Aldean: "Dirt Road Anthem"
Darius Rucker: "I Like It, I Love It" (Tim McGraw cover)
Darius Rucker: "Waterfalls" (TLC cover)
Darius Rucker: "Poison" (Bell Biv DeVoe cover)
Darius Rucker: "The Tracks" (unreleased)
Darius Rucker: "Wagon Wheel"