A version of this story appears in Saturday’s The Oklahoman.

Tickets on sale Saturday (today) for Blake Shelton’s televised tornado benefit
“Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert,” featuring Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Vince Gill, is set for Wednesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena and will broadcast live on NBC.

Less than a week after devastating tornadoes ripped through his home state, tickets are going on sale for Blake Shelton’s star-studded Oklahoma City charity telethon.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday (today) to “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert,” which will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W Reno.

“Working hard on putting this benefit together,” the Ada native promised on Twitter Thursday, two days after he announced his plans for a televised tornado relief benefit. “Gonna be (an) unbelievable line up for a great cause.”

The star of NBC’s hit TV show “The Voice” has recruited his Grammy Award-winning wife and fellow Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert, as well as Oklahoma natives and Country Music Hall of Famers Reba McEntire and Vince Gill will perform alongside him at the show.

Additional guests for the concert will be announced shortly, according to a news release.

The show will be televised live at 8 p.m. Wednesday on NBC. It also will air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis.

The show will aid victims of this week’s ruinous tornadoes, including the EF5 twister that killed 24 people and injured more than 370 others as it tore through Moore, Newcastle and south Oklahoma City.

“Everyone has their way to help, and mine as an entertainer is to perform to help raise money and awareness for this tragedy,” Shelton said in the news release. “This is why I want to do this special and especially hold it in Oklahoma City, which is near ground zero.”

Tickets are $25, with a limit of eight per person. Tickets can be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

“It is my understanding that ticket buyers will not have to pay any additional fees for this event,” said Ryan McGhee, Chesapeake Energy Arena’s communications manager, in an email.

The event will raise funds for the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund. Working with their local community partners, United Way of Central Oklahoma will use the fund for immediate, intermediate and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts in Oklahoma following the tornadoes that ravaged Moore on Monday.

Love’s Travel Stops is underwriting the concert cost. The Oklahoma City-based company previously announced it was earmarking $1.5 million of a $3 million total donation to fund a benefit event.

R.A. Clark, who produces the Academy of Country Music Awards, is executive producer for the televised event.

On Tuesday, the day after the monstrous Moore twister, Shelton and Lambert performed a heartfelt acoustic version of Lambert’s emotional chart-topper “Over You” on “The Voice.” The couple co-wrote the song about the death of Shelton’s brother, Richie, in a car accident.

After the live TV episode, Shelton announced that he and NBC were planning the Oklahoma City benefit concert.

This isn’t the first time Shelton has reached out in the wake of tragic tornadoes in his home state. In 2011, Shelton and his longtime friend Reba played a pair of relief shows after an EF3 twister hit the tiny Atoka County town of Tushka. The two sold-out Durant concerts, which featured special guests and more than two hours of entertainment, raised $500,000 for the Oklahoma victims.

IN CONCERT

“Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert”

Featuring: Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Vince Gill. Additional guests for the concert will be announced shortly.

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W Reno.

On TV: Live at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Tickets: $25, with a limit of eight per person.

Ticket sale date: 10 a.m. Saturday (today).

Ticket purchasing: At Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

Benefiting: United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund.

Information: www.chesapeakearena.com.

-BAM

Blake Shelton

Ada native Blake Shelton has assembled an all-star team of fellow Oklahoma country music stars to join his telethon “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert.”

His Grammy Award-winning wife and fellow Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert, as well as Oklahoma natives and Country Music Hall of Famers Reba McEntire and Vince Gill will perform alongside Shelton at the benefit show. Additional guests for the concert will be announced shortly, according to a news release.

Shelton, a celebrity coach on NBC’s hit reality show “The Voice,” has organized and will headline the telethon, which will take place Wednesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W Reno.

The concert will be televised live at 8 p.m. on NBC. It also will air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25, with a limit of eight per person. Tickets can be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

“Everyone has their way to help, and mine as an entertainer is to perform to help raise money and awareness for this tragedy,” Shelton said in the news release. “This is why I want to do this special and especially hold it in Oklahoma City, which is near ground zero.”

The event will raise funds for the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund. Working with their local community partners, United Way of Central Oklahoma will use the fund for immediate, intermediate and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts in Oklahoma following the tornadoes that devastated Moore earlier this week.

Love’s Travel Stops is underwriting the concert cost. The Oklahoma City-based company previously announced it was earmarking $1.5 million of a $3 million total donation to fund a benefit event.

R.A. Clark, who produces the Academy of Country Music Awards, is executive producer for the televised event.

This isn’t the first time Shelton has reached out to those in the wake of tragic tornadoes in his home state. In 2011, Shelton and longtime friend Reba went back home to Oklahoma to host the “Tornado Relief Concerts” for victims affected by the Atoka County tornadoes. The two-sold out concerts, which featured special guests and over two hours of entertainment, raised $500,000 for the Oklahoma victims.

For more information, go to www.chesapeakearena.com.

-BAM