Usher and Blake Shelton offered hurricane victims a shoulder to lean on Tuesday night during the “Hand in Hand” telethon fundraiser, teaming up to perform “Stand by Me.”
Usher started the classic song off, receiving cheers as he delivered the iconic lyrics. With Shelton on acoustic guitar, the two then traded verses and shared the choruses, leading the Grand Ole Opry Nashville audience in singing together.
Usher and Shelton formerly competed against each other as opposing team coaches on NBC’s “The Voice.”
The evening was a huge success as fellow celebrities including Beyoncé, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake and more helped raise $44 million for hurricane relief. Queen Bey offered a touching tribute to her hometown of Houston, Texas.
“During a time where it’s impossible to watch the news without seeing violence or racism in this country, just when you think it couldn’t possibly get worse, natural disasters take precious life, do massive damage, and forever change lives,” she said. “In my hometown city of Houston, people need food, clothing, cleaning supplies, blankets, shoes, diapers, formula for babies, and of course, clean water. Natural disasters don’t discriminate. They don’t see if you’re an immigrant, black or white, Hispanic or Asian, Jewish or Muslim, wealthy or poor. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Third Ward or River Oaks, we’re all in this together.”
Watch Usher and Blake’s performance, and Beyoncé’s message below.
