Dierks Bentley Creates ‘Broken Branches’ Album and Mental Health Fund for Music Industry
Dierks Bentley is showing he is recommitting to the country music community by launching The Broken Branches Fund, a new initiative created to provide mental health services to people working in the music industry. This announcement comes ahead of…
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 07: Dierks Bentley performs at Bridgestone Arena on September 07, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Dierks Bentley is showing he is recommitting to the country music community by launching The Broken Branches Fund, a new initiative created to provide mental health services to people working in the music industry. This announcement comes ahead of the launch of his 11th studio album, Broken Branches, on June 13.
The fund, managed in partnership with Music Health Alliance (MHA), will provide grants for outpatient counseling and follow-up care. It was inspired by Bentley's deepening awareness of the pressures faced by those working behind the scenes in Nashville and beyond. “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,” Bentley said. “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.”
Tatum Allsep, founder and CEO of MHA, praised Bentley's leadership and longtime support. “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,” she said.
Founded in 2013, MHA has helped nearly 25,000 music professionals, saving over $125 million in healthcare costs. Fans will be able to contribute to the Broken Branches Fund during Bentley's upcoming Broken Branches Tour or through online platforms.
The album features high-profile collaborations with Miranda Lambert, Riley Green, and John Anderson. Its lead single, a reimagined version of Puddle of Mudd's “She Hates Me,” marks Bentley's highest charting debut yet.
Bentley continues to diversify his ventures with the recent launch of ROW 94, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and his expanding businesses, including Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row gastropubs and his lifestyle brand Desert Son.
With eight No. 1 albums, 22 No. 1 singles, and more than 9.5 billion global streams, Bentley is using his platform to spotlight mental health in an industry that often suffers in silence.
