Eric Church paid tribute to his home state of North Carolina and those affected by Hurricane Helene’s flooding with a performance of “Darkest Hour” at the 2024 CMA Awards.

Dressed in a black velvet blazer and accompanied by a choir (including old singing foil Joanna Cotten), a horn section and strings, Church performed a grand version of the song, which he hastily released last month to raise money for disaster relief. . “I’ll do everything in my power / To take even one minute off your darkest hour,” he sang in falsetto on the CMA stage.

Like the live version he performed at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the recorded version of “Darkest Hour,” which he released as “Helene Edit,” features strings, a choir and production by Jay Joyce. The song is reminiscent of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Band and the symphonic compositions of Queen or, more recently, the Verve. It’s a 1970s rock opera, interspersed with Church’s rugged mountain country, all built on the skeleton of his seminal Stagecoach headliner.

On Tuesday night, Church played an intimate full-band concert at his Nashville bar Chief’s, which was streamed live on SiriusXM. Although the set included his own hits, such as “How ‘Bout You,” “Homeboy” and “Springsteen,” it was primarily a tribute to Church’s influences: He sang covers of Bob Seger, the Band, Hank Williams Jr. and more. , culminating in a reading of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’.

The Church has pledged to transfer all royalties from ‘Darkest Hour’ to the state of North Carolina in perpetuity to help further rebuilding efforts.

“‘Darkest Hour’ is a song dedicated to the unsung heroes, the people who emerge when the world falls apart,” he said in a statement. “This is for the people who show up in the toughest of times, lending a hand when it’s needed most, and standing tall when others can’t. Even in your darkest hour they come running. When the night is at its blackest, this is for those who hold the light, guide the lost, and pull us through.”