Jason Aldean releases Tom Petty cover to support Vegas shooting victims
Jason Aldean is sending more support for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting. The country star released his cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” which he performed on the Saturday Night Live stage on Oct. 7, with all proceeds going to the Direct Impact Fund to help the survivors.
Aldean’s “I Wont’ Back Down” cover is now available across digital platforms like Spotify, iTunes and Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play, Tidal, Pandora, and more. Other platform releases will be announced in the coming days.
“This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history,” Aldean said during the SNL cold open. “Like everyone, I’m struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting. There are children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends — they’re all part of our family. So I want to say to them: We hurt for you and we hurt with you. But you can be sure we’re going to walk through these tough times together, every step of the way, because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit, it’s unbreakable.”
Rewatch the SNL performance below.
Aldean was performing a concert at the Route 91 Harvest Festival across from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino when a gunman opened fire from the hotel, killing at least 58 people and injuring more than 500. He and his wife, Brittany Kerr Aldean, flew to Vegas a week later to visit with the survivors in the hospital.
“Feels surreal being back in Vegas today. Visiting some of the strongest people we have ever met… fighting the toughest battle of them all… for their lives,” Brittany wrote in a message published on Instagram at the time.
After canceling a series of concerts in the wake of such tragedy, Aldean continued his They Don’t Know Tour on Thursday, Oct. 12 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to perform the show “that the people in Las Vegas came to see and didn’t get a chance to.”
The singer again honored the victims of the shooting at the CMT Artists of the Year special with fellow artists Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban.
“We’ve been tested beyond our worst nightmares the past few months. Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to explain how some of us feel,” Aldean said. “But we have proven time and again in this country that we have the power to overcome anything that threatens our way of life or our freedom. We dedicate this night to you and to everyone who’s experienced loss or tragedy in the past few months. Like Keith said, we will get through this together.”
