Over the July Fourth weekend this year, the Central Texas area was hit hard with one of the deadliest floods in the state's history, leaving over 130 confirmed dead in its wake and 100 more missing. Family members who lost their loved ones in the tragedy are currently mourning, including country artist Pat Green, who lost his brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews to the floods.
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According to a report by KHOU, John Burgess, 39, was on vacation with his wife and two sons at an RV park when the Guadalupe River broke loose, killing over 100 people.
His daughter Jenna was away at summer camp during the flooding and was spared.
Green canceled a concert that was initially scheduled for July 5, instead choosing to send prayers to those affected by the flooding. His wife, Kori, shared on Instagram, "We are heartbroken and anxiously waiting for all of them to be found. Thank you for your prayers.'
In a recent interview, Green recalled, "John and I, we were just buddies. We went fishing all the time, stuff like that... None of my family is me. It's about us. It's really not about me."
Green also shared one of his favorite memories of his brother, a story in which he bought his brother a car, and John chose to trade it in to throw a keg party instead. "My favorite memory of my brother John was when he came to me - I had bought him a Nissan Pathfinder," Green recalls. "And he hocked it to have a keg party. He was very young. He was in college at TCU...I told him, I'm not buying him two cars, but I'll come over and have a beer."
How Green Chose to Honor His Brother's Death
On July 16, Pat Green was joined by artists like Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, and several others for an online benefit concert dedicated to the victims of the Texas floods. In an interview with KDFW, Green said, "Texas country people are thick as thieves. I've known most of these people for most of my life, and I look out for them as much as they look out for me."
The show was streamed on YouTube for free, prompting viewers to donate at any time. The concert raised over $1 million, and all proceeds will be given directly to the families affected via Kerr County Relief, the Do It For Durrett Foundation, and TEXSAR.
"We need to take care of more than just ours; we need to help take care of all the others, too."
Photo By: Getty / Steven Ferdman
