Photo: Getty Images
Scotty McCreery spoke about the massive benefit concert he played with Luke Combs, Eric Church and other artists in his home state of North Carolina in late October. The star-studded show supported recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.
McCreery, who was born in Garner, North Carolina, told brother duo Dan and Reid Isbell on a recent episode of God’s Country that when “the storm hit, and I immediately called my team and I said ‘guys, I want to do something.’” Soon after Hurricane Helene made landfall, Combs and Church announced the Concert for Carolina event at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Combs confirmed the day after the event that they’d raised more than $24.5 million.
The lineup included headliners Combs, Church, James Taylor and Billy Strings, plus McCreery, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman, The Avett Brothers, Chase Rice and Parmalee, in addition to Randy Travis and a few other surprise appearances. McCreery told the Isbell brothers he had “chills” listening to Taylor’s performance.
“This week Reid and Dan host multiplatinum artist and North Carolinian, Scotty McCreery, out in God's Country. Scotty gives insight into North Carolina's Recovery from the devastating flooding in 2024 and how listeners can still help. He also shares what it was like to play the monumental benefit show alongside Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor, and more. As Scotty still lives in NC, he refers to his version of 'God's Country' as time spent unplugged at Grandfather Mountain. The guys cover the topic of cigars, what to look for when purchasing them, and how to best keep them preserved. The episode ends with a Gravorite from Scotty that will have you falling out of your chair.”
Dan and Reid — who have written music for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and others — started their weekly podcast in early January 2024. Some of the first guests to appear on the show include HARDY, Dustin Lynch, Colbie Caillat and others.
“One of our favorite things about country music has always been how intertwined it is with the outdoors,” Dan and Reid Isbell said in a statement when God’s Country launched. They hope to “bring the outdoor enthusiast or country music lover an up close and personal look into the minds of some of the best songwriters and artists of the genre — a place where they can be honest about struggles, relationships, their connection to the outdoors, the music business, family, whatever they feel comfortable talking about. We can’t wait to see where this partnership will lead and who this podcast will reach.”
The iHeartPodcasts/MeatEater show is available anywhere you listen to podcasts, including in the iHeartRadio app. Select country stations will broadcast the show between 7-11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday evenings. Find God's Country here.