THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Despite Hurricane Helene, Gretsch helps sponsor a Savannah charity event that raised over $700,000 for pancreatic cancer awareness and research.

When a real good cause involves real good music, some people aren’t going to let a hurricane ruin their plans. Especially Dallas Davidson, the legendary country music singer-songwriter and longtime friend of Fred and Dinah Gretsch.

Davidson, an Albany, Georgia native, was the ringleader who organized the Dallas Davidson Homecoming event in Savannah, Georgia, to benefit the Nikki Mitchell Foundation for pancreatic cancer awareness and research.

Despite being impacted some by Hurricane Helene, Davidson and several of his buddies–an all-star lineup of country singers and songwriters–were still able to raise over $700,000 for the Nashville-based non-profit. Gretsch was a Bronze Sponsor for the Dallas Davidson Homecoming Charity Golf Tournament held at the Savannah Country Club on Sunday, September 29th.

Although a benefit concert scheduled at the Enmarket Arena in Savannah for Monday night, September 30th was canceled, the various event sponsors, including Gretsch, were treated to a special dinner and concert at the Savannah Country Club after the golf tournament had finished.

In addition to Davidson, those lucky enough to be in attendance were treated to the music–and the stories–of other chart-topping country artists including Lee Brice, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann, Rob Hatch, and emcee, Storme Warren.  The relaxed, intimate show lasted three hours and didn’t end until ten o’clock in the evening. When the show was over, Dallas and his friends boarded the tour bus and rolled out of Savannah, arriving in Nashville early the next morning.

The All-Star Lineup: (L to R) Jerrod Niemann, Storme Warren, Jamey Johnson, Lee Brice, Randy Houser, Rob Hatch, Dallas Davidson. Photo courtesy of Rob Hatch.

For country singer and master songwriter Jamey Johnson, performing for this cause had special meaning. Johnson started the Nikki Mitchell Foundation in 2013 in honor of a music-industry friend who passed away from pancreatic cancer. Once diagnosed in 2010, Nikki was described as fighting her disease like a warrior, inspiring countless people around her including Nikki’s friend, singer Alyssa Bonagura, who wrote a song for Nikki entitled “Warrior.”

For Georgia native Dallas Davidson, it’s not the only time he’s lent his immense talent to worthwhile causes and charity events in the Peach State. For several years, Davidson was instrumental in the success of the Georgia On My Mind Concerts that benefitted the Georgia Music Foundation. For 29 years, Dinah Gretsch has been involved in the Foundation, which awards $5,000 grants to schools across Georgia to expand their music programs. Dinah shared, “Dallas’s heart is as big as his musical talent, which is saying a lot. He and his country music friends helped raise a lot of money for a very good cause. Raising awareness of pancreatic cancer and finding a cure for it is very personal to Dallas and his friends since many of them knew Nikki. Fred and I were more than happy to be a sponsor of Dallas’s Homecoming event here in Savannah.”

Jamey Johnson performing at the sponsor’s concert. Photo courtesy of Thomas Claxton.