Dierks Bentley shared plans to give back in a big way. He recently announced the launch of the “Broken Branches Fund,” a new initiative aimed at supporting mental health across the music industry, especially for creatives and crew members who often work behind the scenes.
Partnering with Music Health Alliance (MHA), Bentley is making a multi-year financial commitment to provide mental health resources for members of the creative and touring community. Additionally, the organization will provide grants for eligible candidates and their families to cover outpatient counseling and a plan for follow-up care.
Bentley is well-equipped to run this kind of initiative as he is no stranger to the challenges that come with being in the music business. He has seen and experienced the loneliness of this career and because of that, he is passionate about doing what he can to show his support for others.
“Making this album and prepping for the tour, I’ve never been more aware of the sacrifice that the people in this town make every day to keep country music playing. Whether you’re sitting in a room all day trying to write the perfect hook or leaving home on a bus for weeks at a time, it can be isolating and exhausting. This just felt like the right opportunity to make a bigger commitment on my part to supporting those folks and their families in a more direct and intentional way,” said Dierks Bentley.
Music Health Alliance has already helped more than 32,000 music professionals across the country get access to vital health resources — from life-saving transplants and medications to dental care, end-of-life care, mental health services and more, thus saving over $145 million in healthcare costs. MHA offers its services free of charge to anyone who has worked in the music industry for at least three years. Spouses, partners, and children of qualifying individuals can also receive support from the organization from birth through end of life.
Their mission is simple: “to Heal the Music by providing advocacy and access to healthcare and mental health resources that Protect, Direct, and Connect music professionals with medical and financial solutions.” And with Bentley’s help, that impact is only growing.
“Dierks was one of the first artists to believe in and support Music Health Alliance, and from day one, he’s led with both heart and action,” said Tatum Allsep, Founder & CEO of Music Health Alliance. “Creating the Broken Branches Fund at MHA to support music’s mental health shows his deep commitment to the people who power our industry both on stage and off, and to their well-being for many years to come.”
More information on how to apply for access to resources through MHA is available at musichealthalliance.com.
Fans will also have the opportunity to support the fund throughout Bentley’s summer tour stops other activations online here.
Bentley To Kick Off Broken Branches tour
On Thursday, May 29, Dierks Bentley will kick off his 30-city BROKEN BRANCHES TOUR, named after his 11th studio album arriving June 13. He will be joined by Zach Top and The Band Loula throughout the run.
His forthcoming project marks the start of a new chapter, one that finds him leaning into songs that honestly portray the ups and downs that have shaped his journey. The album’s lead single “She Hates Me,” out now, scored Bentley his career highest charting debut. He also shared an early glimpse with advanced releases of songs like “Cold Beer Can (feat. Stephen Wilson Jr.), “Standing In The Sun,” and “Well Well Whiskey.”
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