Country Singer Robert Earl Keen Unveils Lineup for Texas Flood Benefit Concert

Tyler Childers, Miranda Lambert, and Jon Randall are among the artists slated to perform on Aug. 28.

Robert Earl Keen performs during the Lights, Camera, Christmas! tour at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 12, 2024. Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Country star Robert Earl Keen will host a benefit concert next month to raise funds for Texas Hill Country relief efforts, after severe flash floods devastated the region over the Fourth of July weekend.

On Wednesday, the Texas native unveiled the lineup for his charity event, “Applause for the Cause,” which is scheduled for Aug. 28 in New Braunfels, a suburb just outside of San Antonio.

More than a dozen country artists will take the stage at the Whitewater Amphitheater, including Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, and Jack Ingram.

“As the sun sets, expect full-band sets from music legends from Texas and beyond, including a very special closing set shared by Robert Earl Keen and Tyler Childers,” the announcement reads.

All of the proceeds from the benefit concert will go to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a charitable organization that issues grants to nonprofits throughout the region.

“Applause for the Cause” is presented by the Texas-headquartered convenience store chain Buc-ee’s, which has already pledged $1 million to the foundation.

Keen, 69, announced the fundraising event earlier this month, committing to donate 100 percent of his merchandise sales to flood relief efforts.

“My hometown, Kerrville, TX, was hit especially hard, and the loss of life there has touched everyone in Kerr County and beyond,” the “The Road Goes On Forever” singer shared online.

“Although the emergency first responders were on the scene without hesitation, the devastation is overwhelming. We must help everyone as much as we can, for as long as we can.”

An American flag stands over caution tape on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on July 6, 2025. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

More than 130 people have now been confirmed dead across several counties in Central Texas after heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to surge in the early hours of July 4.

The majority of deaths were reported in Kerr County, an area that was most impacted by the catastrophic flooding.

The death toll is expected to rise as search-and-rescue operations continue, with roughly 100 people still missing.

The tragedy hit especially close to home for Keen, whose two daughters, Clara and Chloe, once attended Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp that was ravaged by the floodwaters.

At least 27 campers and counselors were killed in the flood, as well as the camp’s co-owner and executive director, Dick Eastland.

“Our hearts are heavy watching the devastation unfold across the Hill Country, my home. So many folks hurting, so much uncertainty,” Keen wrote on social media, the day after the flood hit.

“We’re heartbroken for the children still missing, for the families living through every parent’s worst fear, and for our entire community facing this unimaginable loss.

“Sending love, strength, and prayers to everyone hurting right now.”