Single contributions donated to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund
Thomas Rhett released his hit song “Be A Light” featuring friends Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban in March accompanied by an announcement that he and the song’s collaborators would donate all proceeds from single to the ongoing MusiCares COVID-19 Relief efforts. On Wednesday (Sept 2nd), Thomas Rhett and Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta surprised Recording Academy Chair and Interim President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and MusiCares Executive Director Laura Segura via a video conference with an additional $100,000 for the relief fund.
The news comes as “Be A Light” nears the top of the country radio charts and fans all over the world share messages of hope with the #BeALight campaign. The song’s accompanying music video features fan-submitted footage of spreading love and kindness with the message of “Be A Light.” Rhett co-wrote the timeless message alongside Josh Miller, Josh Thompson and Matt Dragstrem.
“Thank y’all so much for everything y’all are doing. The fact that y’all are helping people pay mortgages and hospital bills, I commend y’all so highly for that,” says Thomas Rhett in the video. “Hopefully we can get a lot more on board this train to continue to give and continue to help out our people.”
“On behalf of the Big Machine Label Group, we are going to donate $50,000 today to the MusiCares COVID Fund to keep moving this forward in an aggressive way and try to be more aggressive that this terrible disease that we are dealing with,” states Borchetta before Thomas Rhett says he has agreed to match the monetary amount.
“That’s incredible you guys, that’s so generous,” says Mason in the video. ‘’That is really big and so important, so thank you so much.”
In partnership with the Recording Academy, MusiCares established the initial COVID-19 Relief Fund to help people in the music industry affected by the coronavirus disease outbreak and subsequent cancellation of multiple music events. From hotel and bar gigs to major music festivals, COVID-19 is deeply impacting live music events, and the creative community behind it all. MusiCares helps across the spectrum of need – from physical or mental health emergency, addiction recovery, threat of eviction and preventative services – and its COVID-19 Relief efforts directly support those in the music community with the greatest need as the urgency remains high.
“I wrote ‘Be A Light’ last year as a way to process negativity and sadness I was seeing in the world,” explains Rhett upon the song’s release. “Now, as I sit in my home with my family on my 30th birthday, we are in the middle of a world-wide pandemic affecting every single human on earth, all while our town of Nashville is still healing from devastating tornadoes that destroyed so much of our city less than one month ago. But, among the wreckage, I see us come together in ways I never dreamed possible. I knew in my heart this was the time to share this message with the world and our community. The voices who join me on this track are some of the brightest lights I know. I hope this song serves as a reminder that we are all in this together.”
If “Be A Light” makes it to the top, it’ll mark Rhett’s 16th career No. 1, Urban’s 21st, and McEntire’s 25th on the Billboard charts. It’ll also make history as McEntire will be the first female country artist to score a No. 1 hit in five decades: 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s, 2010’s and 2020’s.
