Dierks Bentley Celebrates Record-Breaking 10th Annual Miles & Music
CMA Male Vocalist of the Year nominee Dierks Bentley's 10th Annual Miles & Music for Kids event was the biggest to date.
On Nov. 1, thousands of bikers rode from Columbia, Tenn., to downtown Nashville, where fans enjoyed an all-star concert lineup at Ascend Amphitheater. Bentley was joined by Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, the Cadillac Three, Canaan Smith, and the only female participant, Brooke Eden for a show that helped raise a record-breaking total of $636,479 for Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
"The fact that we’re still doing this after ten years ... when we first started off, there was the question whether we’d be able to do it one year. Then it became two, and two became five. And now it’s ten," Bentley shares.
Not only was this the 10th anniversary of Miles & Music For Kids, but 2015 also marks the singer's 10th year as an Opry member and 10 years of being married to wife Cassidy.
"It's a big year, and this is a great way to end it," he remarks.
Bentley hopes his charity event event will continue to grow, and maybe even be held at a much bigger venue in 2016. "Bridgestone Arena next year!" the star proclaims, "I'm going to get to Bridgestone one way or another."
Every year, the "Riser" singer gets to go over to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and present the check. "It’s great to be around those families and just kind of get a reality check of what they’re going through," he says. "There are things we can do to help out."
Says Thomas Rhett of his friend: "If you ask anybody in town, they’re going to tell you that Dierks is probably their favorite person in the industry. He’s asked me to do it the last couple of years, and I’ve always had shows to play, so I couldn’t be a part of it. But this year I was off … so I was really excited to be a part of such a great thing."
However, Rhett isn't a rider. "The only motorcycle I’ve ever been on was Brantley Gilbert’s, and I knocked it over backstage at a concert," the "Die a Happy Man" singer admits. "So I decided from that point forward that if I’m going to do it, I need to take lessons before I ride."
Canaan Smith, on the other hand, was ready to go for the ride this year. "I got my motorcycle license not long ago actually, and so it just timed out perfectly," he dishes. When Bentley asked him to be a part of it, he says it was a no-brainer. "Next year hopefully I get to do it again."
Cole Swindell even showed up in a leather jacket, but he didn't ride, either, telling media: "I might get called a poser... but hey this is my first year here, you never know. I may ride out of here. I got the jacket — I just need the bike!”
Bentley didn't mind any "posers" at his event. "Anybody who volunteers their time to be down here ... you can ride a 10 speed, I don’t care," he says. "Just put your name on the ticket so we can sell some tickets and make some money for the kids at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital!"
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