Jason Aldean opened “Saturday Night Live’s” Oct. 7 episode paying tribute to victims of the Las Vegas shooting with a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” and the singer on Friday released a recording of the cover with all proceeds to benefit victims of the tragedy.
Aldean’s rendition was made available Friday across digital retailers and streaming services including iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Google Play, and Tidal. All donations will go toward the Direct Impact Fund. Aldean was performing at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1 when a gunman opened fire on concertgoers. At least 59 people died and more than 500 were injured in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The “SNL” performance was also a tribute to Petty, who died of a heart attack earlier that week at age 66.
“This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history,” Aldean said during “SNL’s” cold open on Oct. 7. “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.”
