They’re not from the Lone Star State, but Paul Simon, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt are joining with some Texas artists — including Willie Nelson — to stage a benefit concert for Hurricane Harvey Relief next week.
Called Harvey Can’t Mess with Texas, the concert will air as a TV special on 11 local stations in the state of Texas, as well as on YouTube.com/TexasStrong, from 9-10 p.m. CT on Friday, September 22.
In addition to Nelson, Simon, Taylor and Raitt, the concert will also feature Lyle Lovett, soul singer Leon Bridges, Simon’s wife Edie Brickell and her band New Bohemians, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. Legendary Western swing act Asleep at the Wheel will serve as house band.
In addition, Texans Matthew McConaughey, Renee Zellweger, Luke Wilson and Dan Rather will make special appearances.
Tickets for the four-hour event, which will take place at Austin’s Frank Erwin Center, go on sale Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT at RebuildTX.org. Google will match the first $500,000 of donations; all proceeds will go to the Rebuild Texas Fund.
The TV stations that will air the special include: WFAA, Dallas; KHOU, Houston; KVUE, Austin; KENS, San Antonio; KBMT, Beaumont; KCEN, Waco-Temple-Bryan; KAGS, College Station; KIII, Corpus Christi; KYTX, Tyler; KIDY, San Angelo; and KXVA, Abilene.