Nashville, Tenn. (May 13, 2026) — Legendary country band BlackHawk and southern rock staple The Outlaws are continuing their annual gift of giving. The two groups recently made a collective $50,000 in charitable donations to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and MusiCares as part of their ongoing annual philanthropic efforts.
BlackHawk presented a $25,000 donation to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Research Lab, continuing a mission the band began in 2004 in memory of former BlackHawk singer-songwriter Van Stephenson, who passed away from melanoma in 2001. Over the past two decades, the band has remained dedicated to supporting cancer research through annual fundraising initiatives and community support via the “Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund.”
The Vanderbilt-Ingram donation was presented April 18 during the annual Freeborn Jam fundraiser held at City Winery Nashville.
A $25,000 donation to MusiCares was also presented by The Outlaws, honoring the memory of former original members of the iconic southern rock group while supporting MusiCares’ mission to help underwrite healthcare costs and provide critical assistance for uninsured musicians. The band has supported the organization since 2009.
The donation presentation took place last week, May 4, at the Recording Academy office in Nashville.
“Our charitable efforts have given us an empathetic perspective and a unique sense of purpose,” says Henry Paul, a founding member of both bands. “We get a lot of help from fans and friends and we appreciate all those that invest in our mission.”
To date, the band has donated over $500,000 to Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Research Lab and over $150,000 to MusiCares.
Through their continued philanthropic efforts, BlackHawk and The Outlaws have remained committed to supporting causes that hold deep personal significance while giving back to the music community and beyond.
About BlackHawk
For more than 30 years, BlackHawk has shared a unique sense of harmony with their voices, their songs and their fans. It’s a harmony that has sold over seven million albums, scored some of the most distinctive country radio hits of the ’90s, and still draws tens of thousands of fans to their electrifying live performances. Today, BlackHawk continues to honor its past as it forges its future, and does it all with a commitment that takes the group’s music – and harmony – to a whole new level.
For more information, visit blackhawklive.com.
About The Outlaws
For The Outlaws, it’s always been about the music. For more than 40 years, the southern rock legends have celebrated triumphs and endured tragedies to remain one of the most influential and best-loved bands of the genre. Today, The Outlaws have returned with new music, new focus and an uncompromising new mission: It’s about a band of brothers bound together by history, harmony and the road. It’s about a group that respects its own legacy while refusing to be defined by its past. But most of all, it’s about pride.
For more information, visit outlawsmusic.com.
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