Stars & Guitars Alum Drake White Raises $250k at ‘Benefit For The Brain’ Concert in Nashville

It was an emotional night earlier this week at the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, as country soul man Drake White spearheaded the "Benefit for the Brain" concert. The show was a collaborative effort from White and other country stars to raise money for various organizations that deal with brain and mental health. You may remember White from the memorable 2017 Stars & Guitars with Big & Rich.

Drake made it abundantly clear what the show's mission was once it was announced last month. According to Music Row, the country star expressed a calling to raise awareness of the mental health struggles that many people deal with every day. "Together, we hope to inspire a community of understanding, improve quality of life and give courage to face the battle between your ears."

And from the looks of things, it sure looks like Drake and co. did just that at Benefit for the Brain. With powerfully gut-wrenching performances from Drake, Riley Green, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, and surprise guest Colbie Caillat, the show managed to raise a staggering $253,000 at the end of the night according to Country Now.

The benefit show was not only a labor of love to Drake White; it also had deep personal meaning to the soulful singer. In 2019 Drake collapsed while performing on stage due to a stroke. It was later revealed that Drake had been partially paralyzed by the incident and was diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM). This disease threatened to cut his career short, but Drake refused to quit. Through multiple surgeries and extensive physical therapy, he was able to regain his motor functions, and was even able to perform live again on last year's The Optimystic Tour.

Drake's story is awe-inspiring, and his resolve to help others fight the same type of battles he had to endure is truly admirable. Brain and mental health are extremely crucial components of your overall wellbeing. And thanks to Drake and the other stars from the Benefit for the Brain show, those struggling with their own mental health can be assured that they're not alone in the fight.

Country music stars love their dogs and cats. And there are a couple of country stars who actually have official Instagram channels just for their dogs. Miranda Lambert does so much for dogs all over the country with her Muttnation Foundation, which raises money and encourages people to adopt shelter animals. Miranda has many dogs, including Delta, Thelma, Louise, Cher, and many more. In July, Lambert shared her sorrow after she lost her dog Thelma.

She wrote on Instagram at the time, sharing several images of her beloved dog, "May 1, 2016, I adopted 2 beautiful Great Pyrenees named Thelma and Louise to watch over one of my happiest places on earth. My farm outside of Nashville. The Kitties, chickens, and mini horses needed to be looked after, and these 2 girls have done that since the day we brought them home. They rode on my bus all the way from Dallas to Nashville, and on that 10-hour drive, I fell in love with them. Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Thelma. She spent her days lounging in the barn and her nights keeping watch over all of us. She lived the last 8 years with no fences, just freedom to do what she did best. Love and protect. I loved her with all my heart."

She continued, "Louise has retired from her farm duties and is getting all the more love and snuggles from Delta, Bellamy, Cher, Brendan, and me. It hurts so bad to say goodbye to these sweet companions, but their love is always worth it. How lucky are we to get to have friends like Thelma? I am so proud to have been part of her story. Thank you to my friends and farm managers Julia and Tommy for taking such good care of her and every one of my fur babies and loving them like they are your own. We all miss you, Telm Telm (broken heart emoji). Y'all don't forget, love a shelter pet."

Surprisingly, in my research for this story, I could not find any of Lambert's dogs or cats or, for that matter, horses who had their own Instagram account. Maybe she doesn't want to favor one over the other. However, Muttnation Foundation does have an Instagram handle.

Then there is Kelsea Ballerini, who adopted her dog Dibbs as a puppy and gave him his name after she charted a song called "Dibbs" in 2015 that went all the way to number one. In one of my first interviews with Kelsea during that time, I actually met the sweet pup, and well, he broke our new office in, if you know what I mean. It was pretty funny.

Ballerini constantly posts about her pooch on her social media, but Dibbs, as famous as he is, does not have his own Instagram account. Maybe his mom is waiting on that one.

So, what country stars have official Instagram accounts for their pups? Here are three of them. Let's take a look at those accounts and the famous parents.

Country icon Dolly Parton has a dog that is actually her manager's French bulldog, with whom she is often seen playing on his Instagram handle. She gave fans a look into her personal life, working to train Billy The Kid. This glamorous pup even has a book that Parton authored about him for kids.

Not long ago, she posted along with a video of her giving her pup treats, saying, "Go easy," and then, "That's a good way to do it, yeah," as the dog worked to not snip at her, "Dolly Mama's Doggy Training. I think @btkthefrenchie deserves a new toy!"

Parton also celebrated her buddy a few days ago. "She wrote, It's our favorite day of the year! Happy #NationalDogDay to all our Doggy Partoners (paws emoji). Shop our new Red Fur-Trimmed Cowboy Hat at the link in our story!"

Chris Young loves his dog Porter so much that earlier this year, he flew him back from shows on his private jet so his pup could get back home. The shows were in California, and after the run, Chris boarded his private jet just to take his beloved canine back home to Nashville. Young posted a photo on Instagram of him and his dog on their plane. He wrote, "Had to fly @porterthedog home safe after a multi-week run #puppy #tourlife."

As for Porter's own Instagram handle, it's simply @porterthedog, and his Instagram features many posts of the dog asking "dad" to pay him, his many escapades, and the famous people he meets now and then, like a few weeks ago when Dad hung out with Gavin Degraw. Porter's camp posted, "Dad, let me meet @gavindegraw !!!"

Lainey Wilson's dog, Hippe Mae, has had her Instagram account for about a year. Hippie Mae follows Mom on the road and has about 45 posts of her life as a famous country star dog. Hippie Mae is a French bulldog who often posts shots with Lainey's band and family members. The sweet pup even has her own denim jacket with her name embroidered on the back.

She posted a shot of the new outfit, writing, "New fit!!!!"

Here, she posted a photo with her famous mom.