Billboard Music Awards Red Carpet 2012 (PHOTOS)
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Selena Gomez Earthquake: Singer Caught Up in 'Scary' Bulgaria Quake
Casey Anthony Found In Hiding
Usher, Tameka Foster Trial: Crooner Claims Ex-Wife Attacked, Spat on Girlfriend
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David Okumu, Singer For the Invisible, Survives Electrical Shocking Onstage
Woman Shot Grandson Eight Times
David Lee Roth, Postponed Tour Dates: Van Halen 'Getting Along Famously,' Singer Insists in Video
'Dancing With The Stars' Crowns A New Champion
Carrie Underwood 'Would Rather Encourage Than Criticize'
Bodies Of Missing Nebraska Woman And Son Found
PHOTOS: 27 Swimsuit Style Icons From The '40s To Today
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PHOTOS: Naomi Campbell's Long Hair Love Affair
Roger Ailes: Jon Stewart 'Wouldn't Do Well Without Fox,' Has Admitted To Me 'He's A Socialist'
Columbus' Jewish Roots Examined
Murder Suspect's DNA Allegedly Found On Missing Gir's Bag: Cops
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Police, Family Search For 22-Year-Old Louisiana College Student Who Disappeared While Bicycling
Teenage Girl 'Kidnapped For Vatican Sex Parties'
Smithsonian: PHOTOS: The World's Top 10 Treks
Pat Gallagher: 20 Hollywood Marriages That Have Lasted 25+ Years
Sarah Leon: PHOTOS: Why I Still Wear My Prom Dress
Willie Nelson
Farm Aid, Environmental Causes
Steve Snowden, Getty Images
Together with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, Willie organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about family farms being lost throughout the U.S. Over the years, the Farm Aid organization has raised $37 million to help American farmers. Farm Aid also encourages people to buy food from family farmers, create more markets for them to sell to and participate in lobbying efforts to help change the system on the local, regional and national fronts.
"There are so many things people have done to make me proud of Farm Aid, it's impossible to list them all," Willie says. "Artists who have flown from all over the world to play for free, knowing it is a situation we need to address. Now we're waiting for one of those smart guys up in Washington to do something about it."
"There are so many things people have done to make me proud of Farm Aid, it's impossible to list them all," Willie says. "Artists who have flown from all over the world to play for free, knowing it is a situation we need to address. Now we're waiting for one of those smart guys up in Washington to do something about it."
Carrie Underwood
Save the Children, Animal Rescue
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Carrie donated 36 cents from each concert ticket sold on her Play On tour to Save the Children, presenting the organization at the end of the trek with a check for more than $140,000, to help in its quest to aid underprivileged kids around the world. Carrie, who is a vegetarian, is also known for her work with animal rights groups and for her own organization, C.A.T.S. (Checotah Animal, Town and School Foundation). The foundation, established in 2009, reaches out to help fund various causes in her hometown of Checotah, Okla. "My hometown has been very supportive of me. It is my way of giving back to my community," Carrie says. Pedigree pet food company contributed $50,000 to the foundation, which went toward building a shelter in Checotah. Carrie also works with rescue groups outside of her hometown.
Garth Brooks
Children's Causes
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Garth and Bo Mitchell established Teammates for Kids in 1999 as a non-profit corporation. They now have five divisions: football, hockey, baseball, soccer and basketball. The purpose of the foundation is to contribute financial resources to select non-profit organizations that effectively serve and benefit children. The focus is on health, education and inner-city services. The more than 2,800 athletes who are a part of Teammates for Kids contribute a sum of money, and the foundation triples that amount.
"When we started the foundation, we wanted to make sure of two things: where does money go and how much goes to the kids?," Garth says on the foundation's website. "So we made it simple: 100 percent of the money goes straight to the kids. That's not a goal, that's the rule." The foundation has generated more than $80 million, gifts-in-kind and scholarships since 1999.
"When we started the foundation, we wanted to make sure of two things: where does money go and how much goes to the kids?," Garth says on the foundation's website. "So we made it simple: 100 percent of the money goes straight to the kids. That's not a goal, that's the rule." The foundation has generated more than $80 million, gifts-in-kind and scholarships since 1999.
Martina McBride
Domestic Violence Awareness
Ed Rode, WireImage
Martina's signature song, 'Independence Day,' about a woman in an abusive situation, brought her to the forefront of the YWCA Celebrity auction, which she's sponsored since 1995. The event takes place each June in conjunction with the CMA Music Festival in Nashville and benefits the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Donations for the auction come from Martina's celebrity friends and local merchants. To date, fans have paid thousands of dollars for autographed guitars, tickets to the ACM Awards, signed and framed lyrics, meet-and-greets and even kisses from country artists.
Rascal Flatts
Red Cross, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital
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Rascal Flatts have had a long association with two different charities. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney are members of the Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. They also support the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and have raised more than $3 million for the facility. In 2010, in recognition of their efforts, the hospital named its Pediatric Surgery Center after the trio. The Rascal Flatts Surgery Center includes a new specialized radiology suite, allowing expanded services to be offered to patients.
"We became involved with the work at Children's Hospital so that children will continue to have a wonderful place to get better and to help their families move on with their lives," says Gary. "We have built some long-lasting relationships, not only with the staff, but with some of the kids and their parents as well."
"We became involved with the work at Children's Hospital so that children will continue to have a wonderful place to get better and to help their families move on with their lives," says Gary. "We have built some long-lasting relationships, not only with the staff, but with some of the kids and their parents as well."
Toby Keith
Cancer Care & Awareness
Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images
Toby has been a longtime supporter in helping young patients fight cancer. Since 2004, his annual celebrity golf tournament, concert and auction have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Ally's House, a Norman, Okla., nonprofit that helps families whose children suffer from cancer. The center was named after Allison Webb, the 2-year-old daughter of one of Toby's original band members, Scott Webb, and his wife Linda. Ally died of kidney cancer in 2003. In 2010, Toby's goal was to raise money to build a lodge called the OK Kids Korral, to house pediatric cancer patients and their families on the grounds of the Oklahoma University Medical Center. Over the past seven years, Toby charitable efforts have raised $3 million, distributed through his Toby Keith Foundation.
Chely Wright
Music Education
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
Chely founded the Reading, Writing and Rhythm Foundation in 2000 and has held a June concert to benefit the non-profit organization every year since. The foundation has raised more than a million dollars for music education in American schools. In 2010, funds went to help replace instruments lost in the Nashville flood. Chely remains impressed by the support she gets from her peers. "It's a testament to the artists and also to the fans, who come out to support us," she says. The 2010 concert included special appearances by Justin Moore, Bucky Covington, Jamey Johnson, Trisha Yearwood and Rodney Crowell.
Dierks Bentley
Children's Hospitals
Larry Busacca, Getty Images
Dierks has held his Miles & Music for Kids motorcycle rides and concerts in Nashville since 2005, to benefit the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Additionally, events in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta for local children's hospitals in those cities have raised more than $1 million. Fellow artists who've participated to help support the cause include Miranda Lambert, Jerrod Niemann, Darius Rucker, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Heidi Newfield and Ira Dean.
"This event has come to mean more to me after having a kid," says Dierks. "My daughter Evie was born on the morning of the event in Nashville in 2008, and I rode in the ride later that day. Both our children are healthy, and it makes you appreciative and glad to help out at the same time."
"This event has come to mean more to me after having a kid," says Dierks. "My daughter Evie was born on the morning of the event in Nashville in 2008, and I rode in the ride later that day. Both our children are healthy, and it makes you appreciative and glad to help out at the same time."
Marty Stuart
MusiCares
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
Proceeds from Marty's annual Late Night Jam ($150,000 so far) go to MusiCares, a Grammy-related organization offering assistance in a time of need to people who work in the music business. The show, held at the Ryman Auditorium during CMA Music Fest, brings together a combination of announced guests and surprise performers, showing up to play (usually well past midnight) for the routinely sold-out crowd.
"The common thread that runs through this concert is the good, the contribution that we try to make," says Marty. "MusiCares is something I believe in very much. I know firsthand in several instances where it's been a life-or-death situation for someone in music, and MusiCares showed up. A friend of mine had to have surgery, and after he got home from the hospital, his first round of prescriptions was $4,500. Someone called and MusiCares was on the case."
"The common thread that runs through this concert is the good, the contribution that we try to make," says Marty. "MusiCares is something I believe in very much. I know firsthand in several instances where it's been a life-or-death situation for someone in music, and MusiCares showed up. A friend of mine had to have surgery, and after he got home from the hospital, his first round of prescriptions was $4,500. Someone called and MusiCares was on the case."
Jason Aldean
Cancer Awareness
Frank Micelotta, Getty Images
Jason's Concert for the Cure has been an annual event during CMA Music Fest since 2005. The show raises money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for breast cancer research. Jason chose the charity after losing a dear friend to breast cancer when she was only 29. He says he and his family vowed to never let her memory die. For Jason's My Kinda Party tour, he is offering fans the opportunity to purchase sold-out floor seats, with proceeds from the sale of those tickets going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Jason says it's just one more way in which he can support a worthy cause.
"We started making those tickets available in 2010, and were able to raise four times as much money as the benefit concert we have had in June," says the singer. "No matter what we do in the future, the bottom line is to raise money for, and make awareness of, breast cancer. If that comes from donating on a per-show basis or one big show, it doesn't matter to me as long as we're able to help out. That's what matters."
"We started making those tickets available in 2010, and were able to raise four times as much money as the benefit concert we have had in June," says the singer. "No matter what we do in the future, the bottom line is to raise money for, and make awareness of, breast cancer. If that comes from donating on a per-show basis or one big show, it doesn't matter to me as long as we're able to help out. That's what matters."
Little Big Town
Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research
WireImage
Little Big Town sponsor a charity motorcycle ride, Ride for the Cure, and concert in Nashville to benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research. Jimi Westbrook of the group says, "T.J. Martell has an amazing research facility, so for us to be able to do something fun and raise money is a great thing to do. We have all been touched in some way by cancer, and we have to find some way to stop this disease. If anyone can do it, they can. New things are being discovered every day, and we have to keep the money coming in in any way we can to stop this disease."
In the past Little Big Town has seen support from friends Randy Montana, Luke Bryan, Jamey Johnson, Jason Michael Carroll and Jamie O'Neal, all of whom have helped them by making appearances at the Ride for the Cure.
In the past Little Big Town has seen support from friends Randy Montana, Luke Bryan, Jamey Johnson, Jason Michael Carroll and Jamie O'Neal, all of whom have helped them by making appearances at the Ride for the Cure.
Clay Walker
Multiple Sclerosis Awareness
Andrew H. Walker, Getty Images
Clay's Band Against MS was established in 2003, seven years after the singer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The foundation focuses on providing information to people living with MS and funding programs researching a cure for MS. Clay's objective is to provide hope for those who live with the disease, as well as to provide educational and research grants to institutions searching for a cure or treatment. To date, the singer has donated more than two million dollars in support of his foundation.
Clay was honored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Mid-South Chapter in 2009, receiving the Hope Award, the organization's highest honor for outstanding civic and community service. The singer raises money for his foundation through various events, including Chords of Hope: The Clay Walker MS Benefit Concert, which is held annually in Nashville.
Clay was honored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Mid-South Chapter in 2009, receiving the Hope Award, the organization's highest honor for outstanding civic and community service. The singer raises money for his foundation through various events, including Chords of Hope: The Clay Walker MS Benefit Concert, which is held annually in Nashville.
Miranda Lambert
Animal Rescue
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
Miranda has a special place in her heart for animals, so it's no surprise that a major focus for her is helping her furry friends. In 2007, she held her first Cause for the Paws event to help the Humane Society of East Texas, making it possible for the organization to become a 'no kill' shelter. The event includes a concert and auction, with autographed photographs, signed guitars and other celebrity items up for bids. Miranda, who now lives in Oklahoma, also has a charity in that state, TAILS (Texoma Animal Improved Living Society), which helped build a shelter in Tishomingo, near where her farm is located. She has also been known to make donations to other shelters across the country. But Miranda not only talks about animal rescue, she does plenty of rescuing, too. She and fiancé Blake Shelton have a menagerie of animals they've rescued over the years, including horses, pot-bellied pigs, chickens and, of course, dogs.
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