TRACE ADKINS AND LIFTING LIVES RAISE MORE THAN $100,000 FOR WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
Country star Trace Adkins and the West Point Glee Club teamed up on the 44th Academy of Country Music Awards to unveil the Academy’s newly re-branded charitable fund, ACM Lifting Lives™. In a special performance, Adkins sang “Til the Last Shot’s Fired,” and iTunes downloads of the song, as well as direct donations, have raised more than $100,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that provides extensive support to troops who have been wounded in combat.
"I've done stuff for the U.S.O. and the military and things here and there, but I've never really been hooked up with Wounded Warrior Project before," Adkins said. "I've known about them and know that it's a very noble cause, but this was my first opportunity to work with them. That all came about through Lifting Lives, through the ACM. That was their brainchild. So I'm just happy to be here."
Songwriters Rob Crosby and Doug Johnson and music publishers Mike Curb and Paul Overstreet all donated their royalties to the cause. Capitol Records President and ACM Board Member Mike Dungan also donated to Wounded Warrior Project profits from downloads of Capitol's master recording of "Til the Last Shot's Fired."
"We experienced immediate download sales of Trace's live performance from the show, and within a few days, we saw appreciable increases in downloads from the album version of this song," Dungan told ACM Tempo. "This was clearly the result of his performance on the show. It just felt like the right thing to do. The two words 'Lifting Lives' pretty much say it all, don't they? There are so many wonderful things that can be done with this charitable fund. We are honored to have participated in its kickoff."
Other generous companies donated hotel rooms and airline tickets for the West Point Glee Club, helping make this special moment possible.
"A beautiful thing about this project is that it was only completed with cooperation. None of us could have done this alone," said the ACM's Erin Spahn, director of Lifting Lives. "Trace, the West Point Glee Club, CAA, dick clark productions, CBS, American Airlines, Planet Hollywood, MGM, iTunes, Capitol Records, the songwriters and publishing companies - - these entities gave up their proceeds, time and royalties absolutely without hesitation. To every man and woman who has ever been brave enough to serve our country, I wish you could see what I saw when putting this massive project together: there is a great deal of love for you. Otherwise, not one of us could have pulled this off."
Andrew Kinard, a former U.S. Marine lieutenant who lost both legs in Iraq, represented the Wounded Warrior Project by introducing Adkins' performance on the live broadcast. He received a standing ovation from the crowd, and later found himself the toast of the All-Star Jam.
"When I rolled on stage to introduce Trace and the West Point glee club, I was overwhelmed by the crowd's reaction," Kinard told ACM Tempo. "As I thought about the crowd's reaction, I realized that they weren't cheering me per se, but that the applause was directed towards all men and women who have worn our nation's uniform. It was truly a sublime moment for me and a great privilege to be able to represent the Armed Forces - and the wounded warrior community in particular."
Spahn says having an artist like Adkins and an organization like Wounded Warrior Project were paramount in kicking off Lifting Lives the right way.
"None of us doubted that Trace was the perfect choice for this moment and this cause, but our confidence in him has only been bolstered since the performance," Spahn said. "Trace has begun personal friendships with wounded American troops. That's exactly why we loved the name Lifting Lives for our charity--we want to remember that it always goes back to lifting individuals out of hardship."
"It was the right song, the right voice, and the right backdrop for this tribute to those who have sacrificed for our great nation," Kinard said. "I am proud to call Trace a friend, and I know that we will continue to be."
Dungan says the performance gave fans yet another way to view Adkins.
"I know how Trace feels about the men and women who serve daily in our military, and he was touched beyond description to be asked to perform this song on the ACM Award Show," Dungan said. "A month later, people are still talking about it. After the Celebrity Apprentice, I think America started to see Trace as not just a successful artist, but as a good man. Again, with this performance, America got another glimpse at the humanity of this giant man."
A long-time supporter of the U.S. military, Adkins traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan last year where he and his band performed for more than 10,000 United States military personnel in partnership with the USO. “Til the Last Shot’s Fired,” from Adkins’ current album X, delves into the topics of military history and personal sacrifice and features the West Point Glee Club on the song.
The Academy of Country Music would like to thank the following people and organizations for making this special moment possible: Trace Adkins, American Airlines, CAA, EMI Capitol, Rob Crosby, Mike Curb, Mike Curb Music, iTunes, Planet Hollywood, Doug Johnson, Paul Overstreet, Scarlett Moon Music, Sweet Radical Music and The West Point Glee Club.
To find out more or to donate directly to the Wounded Warrior Project, CLICK HERE.