Country-Music Stars Shine at Holiday Fundraiser in River Oaks

Wilson Parish
Country-Music Stars Shine at Holiday Fundraiser in River Oaks

Michael Humphries, Cameron Patterson, John Patterson and Jarrod Brown

A MUSICAL EVENING at River Oaks Country Club raised $600,000 for Nashville-based nonprofit Mission Lazarus, which funds transformational development work in Honduras and Haiti.


The “Songs on a Mission” gala, an annual event since 2017, kicked off with cocktails in the foyer, where guests browsed a selection of silent auction items before heading into the ballroom for dinner. Emcee Bryan Simpson, a singer-songwriter, introduced himself along with the other musical guests, Zach Crowell and Ben Johnson, who together have written hits sung by Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and many others. They performed their chart-toppers for the enthralled crowd of 200.

After the jam sesh, the live auction kept the energy high, with prizes like a Caribbean yacht trip and a resort weekend at Horseshoe Bay; the raffle and door prizes contributed greatly to the evening’s total till as well.

Zach Crowell, Bryan Simpson and Ben Johnson

Andi and Chad St. Jean

Traci Morrow, Tiffany Morrow and Kim Jenkins

Bret and Angela Strong

Shari and Ed Wood

Bryan Simpson, Zach Crowell and Ben Johnson on stage

Robert and Stacy Beasley

Gabi and Jarrod Brown

Herb and Alice Burtrum

Rex and Pam Lindberg

Justin and Casey Pollard

Niki Smith and Terri Tarwater

Mia and Jeff Calvert

Lindsey and Carson Tomalin

Mercedes and Ben Ahiabor

Mark and Rhonda Norville, Jeanae King and Mike Aldridge

Parties
Leadership in Action: Entrepreneur Saba Syed of Moroccan Bath Determined to Build ‘Lasting Legacy’

Saba Syed, Founder of Oasis Moroccan Bath

How did you get to where you are today? My journey began with a need to be financially independent and an even a deeper drive to create a lasting legacy. The centuries-old Hammam tradition has always fascinated me—not just for its relaxation benefits, but for its holistic approach to cleansing the body, mind, and soul. So, combining my passion with a vision to bring an authentic yet luxurious Hammam spa experience to Houston, I took the leap less than two years ago to open my own spa.

Keep Reading Show less

The Cottages at the Boat Basin

THERE'S A REASON that many Houstonians glorify a quaintly picturesque life on Nantucket. Actually, there are several: a storied history, charming shops, cobblestone streets, impossibly fresh oysters (and need we even mention the weather?).

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment