{"id":3598,"date":"2025-02-10T15:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T15:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/?p=3598"},"modified":"2025-02-24T15:31:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T15:31:07","slug":"chart-topping-country-artist-drew-baldridge-launches-the-tough-people-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/02\/10\/chart-topping-country-artist-drew-baldridge-launches-the-tough-people-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"CHART-TOPPING COUNTRY ARTIST DREW BALDRIDGE LAUNCHES &#8220;THE TOUGH PEOPLE FUND&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>Inspired by His Top 20 Hit &#8220;Tough People&#8221;\u00a0Baldridge Will Advocate for the Toughest of People Experiencing Hardship\u00a0via this Ongoing Heart warming Initiative<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Rising country music star\u00a0<strong>Drew Baldridge<\/strong>\u00a0has launched<strong>\u00a0&#8220;The Tough People Fund&#8221;,<\/strong>\u00a0a GoFundMe campaign that will highlight those individuals, families and communities that are experiencing the toughest of times. The campaign launched yesterday, directing efforts to raise funds for a young fan, Baker, who is bravely battling cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Baldridge was moved when he learned that Baker found strength in his hit song &#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/2\/5e1ff8a19fe6b14f4422787c81e382b32b460b5dd9985b148445f4db5a661039?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Tough People<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; as she underwent her treatments. Inspired by her resilience, Baldridge decided to take action and use his platform to support Baker and raise awareness for her fight.\u00a0Watch their story below: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe  id=\"_ytid_94316\"  width=\"676\" height=\"380\"  data-origwidth=\"676\" data-origheight=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nNX6I7uNvco?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;hl=en_US&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>&#8220;Tough People&#8221; Lyrics<\/em><\/strong><em>:<\/em><br><em>She was four years old when they got the news<\/em><br><em>It was in her little lungs, it was stage two<\/em><br><em>Mama spent every night by her bed<\/em><br><em>And daddy shaved his head<\/em><br><em>Talk about tough people<\/em><br><em>Yeah, there were plenty of times she could&#8217;ve gave up<\/em><br><em>But she didn&#8217;t<\/em><br><em>Nah, she fought like hell &#8217;til she rang that bell in Memphis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>The fundraiser is live now\u00a0<\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/5\/8b5190446bbcb03a25fbb166a512710f56a1450361fc27f01f4c60a4ec776a48?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and Baldridge penned a personal request to anyone interested in helping this first Tough family.\u00a0Putting his money where his mouth is, he kicked off the campaign on World Cancer Day with a $1,000 (\u00a3795) donation of his own.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-photo-3-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-photo-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-photo-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-photo-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-photo-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-photo-3-676x380.jpg 676w, https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-photo-3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em>&#8220;Dear Friends, Family, Supporters, and Kindhearted Strangers. My name is Drew Baldridge, and as a country music artist, my life is centered around three things: farm, faith, and family. At the heart of it all, though, is a deep desire to help others\u2014especially when hope is needed most. I&#8217;ve recently learned about the incredible story of a young girl named Baker, and after hearing about the challenges she&#8217;s facing, I knew I had to do something to support her. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;ve set up this GoFundMe campaign to help Baker, a courageous 4-year-old battling an incredibly rare and aggressive form of cancer: ETP T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em>Baker&#8217;s diagnosis is heart-wrenching. Only 15-20% of pediatric leukemia cases are T-cell, and within that group, just 11-12% have the ETP markers, which make her case even rarer and harder to treat. This cancer is aggressive and complex, and the odds are stacked against her. But here&#8217;s the truth: Baker is not a statistic. She is a fighter. A warrior with an unstoppable spirit and the unwavering support of her family, friends, and community.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em>Right now, Baker is undergoing Phase 2 chemotherapy, which is even more intense than the treatments she&#8217;s already been through. The road ahead is long, but we believe in her strength\u2014and we know that together, we can help her win this fight.<\/em> <em>The financial burden of this fight is immense. Every dollar raised will go directly to supporting Baker&#8217;s journey. Baker&#8217;s mom has had to quit her job to provide the care Baker needs, and we want to relieve some of that stress so they can focus on what matters most\u2014Baker&#8217;s health.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em>This GoFundMe campaign isn&#8217;t just about raising money; it&#8217;s about building an army of support for Baker. It&#8217;s about surrounding her with prayer, love, and resources so she has every chance to succeed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><em>Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of this journey. Let&#8217;s help Baker win this fight\u2014one step at a time.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/media.muckrack.com\/pitches\/RlNM\/images\/8jdakw70wpa_cm8thcbqv.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>(<em>Photo credit: Mike Rodway \/ Download hi-res&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/6\/b52427d21e34900344ee4fb8de4036525273edd1f77401f04900522a78f5db48?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>here<\/em><\/a>)<br>Released in October 2024, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/7\/f99fc1e0c1e81497852ccdaf278d89a2a54e019117446a97a0b36cf549ed1ea3?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tough People<\/a>&#8221; is already making a significant impact. Co-written by&nbsp;<strong>Baldridge, Luke Combs, Adam Sanders,<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Jordan Walker<\/strong>, the song is currently climbing the country radio charts in the UK. This follows the iHeart On the Verge artist&#8217;s groundbreaking achievement with his first #1 hit &#8220;She&#8217;s Somebody&#8217;s Daughter,&#8221; which made history when he became the first self-funded artist to reach #1 on country radio with their debut single.<br><a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/8\/5dd0bf4c0e170002d7bd0b50bbf88bcaa83b2561f34b483e10bf9c2a38d0d9aa?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WEBSITE<\/a>&nbsp;|<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/9\/4f876d4f1a9cf43224de84c97a52c00ce3ff45185b6386e7dc06eb53cdfeb6d2?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;INSTAGRAM<\/a>&nbsp;|<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/10\/765d80c3a1489d24c2ef9b27fe6d1189f3a1aa40bca73a23ca868e858135d8ab?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;TIKTOK<\/a>&nbsp;|<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/11\/94cf0b799dc17af6c5437aee9a8a5adb11f9e7a72fa7d2b473cefa338500898a?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;YOUTUBE<\/a>&nbsp;|<a href=\"https:\/\/tracking.us.nylas.com\/l\/f7d827b255bd498c88f9a09133eb4345\/12\/169ad61f2c9404f1c63e65f64a215e9172cde160846a40a1bace277b82b1ea21?cache_buster=1738753851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;FACEBOOK<\/a><br><strong>About Drew Baldridge:<\/strong>Many people lead productive lives and build successful careers in their fields, but few make history\u2014Drew Baldridge is in that elite class. When his song &#8220;She&#8217;s Somebody&#8217;s Daughter&#8221; climbed to No. 1 on the Country Aircheck\/Mediabase chart, it became the first self-released single to reach that summit for an artist&#8217;s debut No. 1. This remarkable feat not only propelled Baldridge&#8217;s career but also serves as an inspiration to anyone who believes that dreams can come true. The RIAA GOLD-certified viral hit has garnered over 1.1 billion streams and impressions across all platforms, making history as the highest-charting self-funded song ever on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Following the success of &#8220;She&#8217;s Somebody&#8217;s Daughter,&#8221; Baldridge has partnered with BBR Music Group\/BMG Nashville\/Stoney Creek for his new single, &#8220;Tough People,&#8221; which is currently Top 20-and-climbing on the country radio charts. He was also recently named as part of the CRS New Faces class of 2025 as well as an iHeart On the Verge artist. An acclaimed songwriter signed to Sony Music Publishing, Baldridge has over 500 songs to his credit, with cuts by artists including Bailey Zimmerman, LOCASH, and Chase Matthew. He has shared the stage with prominent artists such as Eric Church, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan, and is currently on the road for Cody Johnson&#8217;s Leather Deluxe Tour and will join Bailey Zimmerman&#8217;s New to Country Tour later this year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inspired by His Top 20 Hit &#8220;Tough People&#8221;\u00a0Baldridge Will Advocate for the Toughest of People Experiencing Hardship\u00a0via this Ongoing Heart warming Initiative<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DB-Photo.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3601,"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598\/revisions\/3601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cmni.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}