Tyler Childers Puts Hickman Holler Relief Funds to Good Use
If you’re wondering where your money is going if you’ve donated to the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund established by Tyler Childers and Senora May—either directly, or indirectly by purchasing and/or streaming his recent album Long Violent History—it has been announced that a portion of the proceeds have gone to establishing the Hickman Holler Appalachian College Fund to help underprivileged students in the Appalachia region.
Upon releasing Long Violent History on September 18th, 2020, Tyler Childers announced that 100% of the net proceeds from the album would go to the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund. The title sold 13,136 albums upon its debut week.
The four colleges that are participating in the Hickman Holler Appalachian College Fund are Berea College, West Virginia University, Ohio University, and Morehead State University. Morehead State is where one of the primary members of the Tyler Childers backing band The Foodstamps—fiddle player and guitarist Jesse Wells—is an instructor at the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music. Jesse Wells is also responsible for the Traditional Music Archives of the institution, and taught Tyler how to play fiddle, resulting in the Long Violent History album.
“It is inspiring to see this successful couple give back to the Appalachian region they call home,” says Jim Shaw, CEO of the Morehead State University Foundation. “We are thrilled to be selected as a University supported by this scholarship. Students from the MSU service region will greatly benefit from this generosity.”
The Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Scholarship will benefit students who are incoming freshman with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students from Eastern Kentucky will receive priority, but students from the tri-state area who live in bordering counties of Ohio and West Virginia may be considered as well.
Tyler Childers was born in Lawrence County, Kentucky and grew up in Paintsville. He has regularly taken up for causes in the region, including the water crisis which has affected many in Eastern Kentucky and the West Virginia region. Senora May is from Irvine, Kentucky, which is also in the eastern portion of Kentucky.
For more information on the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund or to make a direct donation, visit hickmanhollerappalachianrelieffund.org.
February 16, 2021 @ 12:21 pm
That’s what it’s all about, right there.
Good on him.
February 16, 2021 @ 1:36 pm
That’s great. I recently got my vinyl copy in the mail. Man, “Long Violent History” was poignant even before January 6. Now it’s absolutely chilling.
February 16, 2021 @ 2:16 pm
Solid country gold, that guy.
February 16, 2021 @ 8:18 pm
God Bless Mr. Childers & Senora May
February 16, 2021 @ 8:37 pm
I know they’re pop, but please give us a FGL review. Especially for the song “New Truck.” I’m dying for a good laugh.
February 16, 2021 @ 8:57 pm
Here’s a song review of “New Truck.” May have an album review up soon.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/florida-georgia-lines-new-truck-is-the-worst-song-ever/
February 16, 2021 @ 10:48 pm
While this is an awesome project for the underprivileged students in the Appalachia region, learning that Marshall University isn’t participating (or wasn’t selected) in the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund sure is a headscratcher. Tyler was a regular performer for years in the Huntington, WV scene, where Marshall University is located. Many of his bandmates and manager are from the Huntington/tri state area. From Paintsville Ky to Huntington WV it is approx. 61 miles which makes it closer than the ones chosen for the fund. Its 118 miles to Berea KY, 145 miles to Athens, OH (63 miles to the southern campus in Ironton, OH), 63 miles to Morehead, Ky, and 265 miles to WVU in Morgantown, WV from Paintsville. “Students from Eastern Kentucky will receive priority, but students from the tri-state area who live in bordering counties of Ohio and West Virginia may be considered as well.” I guess those underprivileged students in the tri state area won’t receive any priority or consideration if they want to attend Marshall even though many fans from the tri state area came out to places like the V club in Huntington over the years to show their relentless support for Tyler.
February 17, 2021 @ 6:50 am
I don’t know whether Trigger is correct and something changed, but the first email sent out and the Hickman Holler website both listed Marshall and not WVU.
From the site’s FAQ: “As it relates to education, the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund is in the process of setting up an endowment fund called the Hickman Holler Appalachian College Fund to support scholarships for students of color and financial need at the following Appalachian colleges and universities: Berea College in Berea, KY; Marshall University in Huntington, WV; Morehead State University in Morehead, KY; and Ohio University in Athens, OH.”
February 17, 2021 @ 9:00 am
Marshall University is one of the 4 participating universities (not WVU).
https://www.glunis.com/US/Huntington/335453711087/The-Marshall-University-Foundation%2C-Inc.
February 17, 2021 @ 9:28 am
I will try and look into if Marshall is participating in this. The press release that I linked to in the article was from February 5th, and so this is newer information.
https://www.moreheadstate.edu/News/2021/February/MSU-Foundation-announces-new-scholarship-opportuni
Also, just because Marshall may not be involved in this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a point of drama. Perhaps they just didn’t need it, maybe there’s some logistical explanation, etc. Let’s just not assume that Marshall is not participating due to spite or oversight or something. There could be a very logical explanation.
February 17, 2021 @ 10:06 pm
Hopefully. I’m sure a lot of the Huntington area faithful won’t be pleased that the funds were sent to Morganhole instead of being used in Tyler’s back yard where he played and built a nice following for years and years.