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HARDY headlined the American Cancer Society’s Country vs. Cancer benefit concert on December 2 at The Pinnacle in Nashville. The event brought together major names in country music for one cause. By the end of the night, the concert raised more than $350,000 to support cancer research and patient services.
Backstage, he spoke with PEOPLE about what the night meant to him. He made it clear he understood the importance of the event. He said he felt grateful for the chance to use his career in a meaningful way.
“I just stand on the shoulders of Nashville and the music industry for putting me in a place where I could do that,” he said.
He credited the Nashville community and the people who supported his career.
A platform with purpose
HARDY said he feels lucky to be in a position where his music can support real causes. He explained that having a stage means having responsibility. He tries not to take that lightly.
“I'm just lucky first and foremost to have a platform to stand on, to be able to support just through music,” he said.
The concert allowed him to combine his work with giving back. He said that balance is important to him. The lineup included Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley, along with several other artists. He said it felt strange to close the show after two long-time stars.
“Dierks and Miranda are both legends,” he said. “I feel weird closing the night out. I'm like, Jesus, these two are hall of famers.”
He also made it clear that the lineup was not chosen to sell more tickets. He said he only asked Lambert and Bentley because he believed they would support the cause without hesitation.
“I truly legit asked both of them and nobody else because I knew that they would say yes,” HARDY said. “They both care about the cause.”
Why is the cause personal for HARDY?
Cancer has affected HARDY’s family personally. On his father’s side, his grandmother survived breast cancer after early treatment. On his mother’s side, the experience was much harder.
“She got it, she went into remission, she got it again and then it spread everywhere,” he said. “It was a really sad thing.”
The experience affected how he views cancer. He explained that those experiences inform why he supports the American Cancer Society. He spoke about how serious he believes the disease remains.
“I also know how scary it is because it's one of the few things that we have today that is not only completely incurable, but also very deadly,” HARDY said.
He added that even small actions can matter.
“Anything I can do to help put money into trying to figure out how to put it into it is just ... I'm happy to do that,” he said.
He said his goal is straightforward: to support research and help families in any way he can.
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