THE HELLO FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES YOU GOT GOLD, CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF JOHN PRINE, RAISES AN ANTICIPATED $300,000 TO SUPPORT HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF

October 17, 2024—The Prine Family in partnership with the Hello In There Foundation announced today that this year’s You Got Gold event raised an anticipated $300,000 to support disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Helene. You Got Gold: Celebrating the Songs of John Prine took place last week, October 9-12, and featured shows at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s CMA Theater (October 11), The Basement East (October 10, Prine’s birthday) and the historic Ryman Auditorium (October 9), along with an array of daytime community events. Performers for this year’s Ryman event included Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Patti Griffin, SG Goodman, and more. The Basement East show featured tribute performances by Jesse Welles, Gabe Lee, Kaitlin Butts, and more. The finale, at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame, included Elizabeth Cook, Amanda Shires, Billy Ray Cyrus, Buddy Miller and Shawn Colvin, Kathy Mattea, and more.

Proceeds from the annual event have historically supported the Hello In There Foundation’s grantmaking. The Foundation is an initiative established by the Prine family to honor John. Their mission is to identify and collaborate with individuals and communities to offer support to people who are marginalized, discriminated against, or otherwise forgotten. 

“We are continually floored by the generosity of John’s fans. For the past three years, this community has gathered together to celebrate John’s music and legacy and this year was no different,” says Fiona Prine. “We are so  grateful for the continued support and contributions made on behalf of John, and we are so fortunate to be able to help so many people in need through the great work of the Hello In There Foundation.”

A portion of this funding will directly benefit individuals who have experienced significant loss due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including low-income families with children and hospitality workers who have lost wages in the Gulfport, Florida, area, where the Prine family has maintained a family home for decades.

Additional organizational grants will be made to  local and regionally-based organizations doing on-the-ground work in the Southeast, particularly in the hardest hit areas of East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and the Gulfport area of Florida, to assist those most impacted by the storm. 100% of net proceeds from You Got Gold, including ticket sales and merch sales, along with all donations, will benefit disaster relief. The foundation will continue actively directing funds toward these efforts through the end of the year. Donations can be made by visiting thehellointherefoundation.org.

By the end of 2024, the Hello In There Foundation is on track to have donated over 1 million dollars since it was established in 2021. Last year’s “You Got Gold” featured performances by renowned artists such as Tanya Tucker, Lukas Nelson, Joy Oladakun, Rita Wilson, Ruston Kelly, Rodney Crowell, Katie Pruitt, John Oates, Amanda Shires, and more. Benefitting organizations for the 2023 “You Got Gold” concerts include the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Porter’s Call, Renewal House and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.