Thomas Rhett is giving back to charity amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Thomas Rhett and the Charity
During an interview over Labor Day Weekend, Rhett revealed his philanthropic plans. Rhett had somewhat of an epiphany regarding touring crew and musicians, who are not able to work for months on end due to the pandemic. The best way he knows how to give back is through music.
“I got back together with my band this week, man, and it just kind of re-hit me again, just knowing that there’s so many bands across America that just do not have any work right now,” he said according to CMT. “I’ve heard a bunch of stories of bands selling their guitars, their pianos, and their bass rigs, literally just to pay rent during this pandemic, and that’s just unacceptable.”
Rhett will be donating all of the proceeds from his collaboration with Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, and Keith Urban on “Be A Light.” The donations will go to Grammy’s MusicCares, which aids workers in the music industry with financial, medical, and rehabilitation assistance.
“Even since the beginning, me and the label had decided to donate a portion of our royalties to MusiCares to help a bunch of the band and crews across America,” Rhett continued. “And then as the thing has gone on, I was like, ‘We’ve gotta do a bigger part.’ So, I’ve just decided to donate all my royalties of this song straight to MusiCares.”
Listen to the song, below.
All About ‘Be A Light’
Rhett wrote the song alongside Matt Dragstrem, Josh Miller, and Josh Thompson in 2019. He decided to release the song in March as the initial wave of the pandemic hit the United States. He performed the song for the first time on the ACM Presents: Our Country.
“I wrote this song last year,” Rhett explained to fans via a livestream. “This song was really just about being a light in a dark place; being an encouragement to people… We weren’t supposed to release this now, but I really felt like the song needed to come out today. I hope it puts a smile on your face in this crazy, crazy time.”
