Dwight Yoakam Headlines Benefit For Children’s Hospital LA On Jan. 28

Dwight Yoakam will headline the inaugural “Dwight Yoakam & Friends: Rockin’ for the Kids at The Roxy,” taking place during Grammy week in Los Angeles. The one-night-only charity concert will be held Jan. 28, at the Roxy Theatre and will benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

Presented by Yoakam alongside Billy Bob Thornton and video director/producer McG – who will emcee the event – the evening will feature a full performance by Yoakam and his band, with special guest appearances by Charley Crockett, Marcus King, Lukas Nelson and additional artists to be announced. Tickets are available today beginning at 10:00 AM/PT.

The inspiration for the event traces back to a personal experience for Yoakam and his wife Emily. During the height of the pandemic, the couple found themselves at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with their infant son, Dalton Loren Yoakam, who was born in 2020. With the care of Dr. Mark Krieger, SVP and Surgeon-in-Chief at CHLA, the infant was fine. Around the same time, Yoakam had just participated in a live-stream benefit for the Ronald McDonald House located across the street from CHLA. Krieger was aware of the connection and he thanked Yoakam for his support.

While waiting in those corridors of CHLA, the Yoakam’s witnessed hundreds of children moving through various stages of recovery and treatment, an experience that left a lasting impression. In their subsequent discussions with Krieger, Emily Yoakam mentioned her experience working as a volunteer at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville some years earlier and she asked what they could do to give back. That conversation planted the seed for what became an ongoing philanthropic effort to help raise funds and awareness to CHLA’s work by bringing artists together to make a tangible impact.

In September 2024, Yoakam was asked to perform at a charity concert at the Lido Theatre in Newport Beach, which is owned by McG. Dwight suggested that CHLA and Children’s Hospital Orange County be the beneficiaries of the night’s fundraising. At that event, Yoakam and Krieger reconnected and discussed creating a yearly benefit during Grammy week and “Rockin’ for the Kids” was the result.

“When you walk the halls of a children’s hospital, it changes you. It puts all of life in a very graphic perspective,” states Dwight Yoakam, in a release. “As Emily and I were there with our own child, we saw so many families facing battles no one hopes to ever have to endure. And while we were fortunate to not face those challenges, that experience never left us. ‘Rockin’ for the Kids’ is our way of saying thank you to Dr. Krieger and the entire staff at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, on behalf of every family who puts their trust in them every single day.”

“On behalf of everyone at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, we are thrilled to be partnering with Mr. Yoakam and his wife on what is sure to be a truly special evening,” adds Krieger. “We are grateful to Dwight and Emily for their passion and vision in bringing this night to life.”