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2003 Season
Teresa Earnhardt, Dale Jr., and Performers
comment on Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert
International Speedway Corporation
(June 27, 2003)
As thousands of music and race fans descend upon Daytona International Speedway for the
Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert on Saturday, June 28th, host Teresa Earnhardt, Dale
Earnhardt, Jr. and the artists participating reflect on the tribute concert, seven time
Winston Cup Champion, the Foundation, and more!
Teresa Earnhardt
(thoughts on the Foundation)
After we lost Dale there were so many fans and friends that sent in donations in honor of
Dale or in memory of Dale and so we funded them all and it just got to be such substantial
thing that I created the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. … I started the Dale Earnhardt
Foundation to honor him and to give back to his fans and friends who had sent these funds
in or donations. The real purpose of it also is to support the charitable causes mostly
that Dale supported. The ones we want to start out with are children, education, and
wildlife conservation and wildlife preservation. He was so knowledgeable about that and
those were his passions so that’s what we’re going to start with. Over the years
we will expand but those were the natural firsts, you know the first charitable things
that meant a lot to him.
(Thoughts on attending The Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert)
Well any race fan or Dale Earnhardt fan who have not decided to go or are not sure
they’re going to be there need to just go for it. … There’s going to be
something there for everyone. If they think they know everything there is to know about
Dale, they’ll be so excited about what they see there. We’re going to have
footage that’s never been seen on jumbo-trons. The musicians are going to be there
for people who are just excited about the music. … We’re going to have
interactive displays throughout the day. We’ll be having special surprise guests that
will not be announced and nobody will know who they are and if you are not there you will
not get to be a part of that.
One of the theme’s of the concert is “Celebrate an American Great”, and
that’s what we’re going to do, all day long and half the night.
(On Dale’s fans attending the concert)
If anyone is a fan of Dale Earnhardt this is the perfect way for them to show their
tribute to Dale and make their reconnection again. It’s going to be so much fun and
it’s such a tribute so they should definitely be a part of it.
I was just going to say that the artists that are there performing, Alabama, Brooks and
Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Sheryl Crow, Delbert McClinton, the Goo Goo Dolls and Hootie, they
are doing this because they cared so much about Dale. For any fan that’s out there
that’s thinking about going, that’s how much Dale meant to these people so the
fans, you know, it’s a great way for them to show their tribute and to be a part of
it and it’s going to be so much fun.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
(On the popularity of his father)
He might not have been the most approachable guy, but he wasn’t bias and he
wasn’t prejudice and he didn’t favor one thing over another or one type of
person over another. That made it easy for everybody to connect to him in some way or
another. He was just that kind of guy that you wanted advice from. You wouldn’t ever
worry about doing something as long as he was the one that told you how to do it. You
never worried about the end result you assumed it was going to be alright and you assumed
everything was going to come out like he said he would. I think a lot of people are kind
of drawn to that just kind of like they were drawn to maybe Elvis you know, he just had a
good attitude about him, he was very colorful and energetic. There was just something
about the look on his face you know that kind of drew you to him.
Kenny Chesney
(On participating at the Benefit Concert)
I was honored to be asked to do it (Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert). Like a lot of people
growing up in East Tennessee, there are a couple of things. When you grow up in the
country, you love to eat, you love country music and you love NASCAR, so I’ve heard
of Dale Earnhardt all my life.
Randy Owen (Alabama)
(On first meeting Dale)
Ralph Seagraves called and said we’ve got this old boy who would like to meet you and
he’s bringing his wife and he can really drive a car … One of the things that
always stands out in my memory of that first meeting is my wife and I had just moved into
our house and one of the things I always wanted to do if I got lucky in music was to build
my wife a new house. So I was telling Dale that and he was looking at my house and he sat
down on the hearth there by the fireplace and he said, well I hope I can build my wife a
new house someday. So I just thought that was real special then that he was thinking about
his wife and something he could do for her and of course Dale got to build his wife a new
house.
(A memorable race)
We got to the race (Rockingham). Dale had to win the race to win the championship. I
couldn’t believe it. My wife got to see Dale race for the first time, her first
NASCAR race, and Dale won his seventh championship there at Rockingham. Then I got to take
my family again down to Talladega and Dale won his last race there. He won that race and
that was a really special time for me to see that.
(Performing at Daytona International Speedway)
Well it goes back to Teresa. Wherever Teresa wants to do it, that’s important to me
and that’s like I told her, whatever I can do to help you that I will….Dale and
Teresa are real good friends of ours so it’s always important you know in a tragedy
like this that you don’t forget your friends. If Teresa wants to do the show there,
that’s important to me.
(On Dale and how his popularity transcends generations)
Dale Earnhardt is the American dream. He optimizes what we all strive to do and that is we
strive to be something that we adhere to. Becoming something that we’ve always wanted
to be and inspiring kids to do better and make more of their lives. As long as there are
kids, there will be people that want to be like Dale Earnhardt and that transcends
generations
Brooks & Dunn
(On Dale’s timeless popularity)
Ronnie Dunn: It’s because no one has done what he did and in the way that he did it
with the flare that he did it. It’s the same feeling that you see with Elvis and
Michael Jordan. It’s just they’re gifted guys; they’ve got some kind of
spark and drive that no one else has.
Kix Brooks: When he won there was always something that went with him. And if he
didn’t, there was always something that went with him. And if you turned on the TV
there was a line drawn through the middle of NASCAR but it was all about Earnhardt,
because like Ronnie said, when he went through the field there was going to be bank flying
and doors bent up and it might be his, he might be the one in the wall but you know, he
was so determined and so ferocious I feel so privileged to have known him the time that I
did just because you’d have to be standing in the shop minding your own business and
be tackled from behind and get a noogie like you’re in the 3rd grade or something to
really appreciate how he was.
(Thoughts on the Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert and participating)
Kix Brooks: We’ve talked about this you know over time and for you (Teresa
Earnhardt), it’s such an incredible undertaking. I’m not sure if you even
appreciate what a long shot it is to pull something like that together cause big time
promoters do this all the time fall flat on their face in the planning process because
there’s so much involved. My hat’s really off to you. It’s a tribute to
both you and him to be able to pull it off. We are really proud to be a part of it.
Mark Bryan of Hootie & The Blowfish
We’re honored and flattered to be apart of this event. Dale was aggressive,
victorious and popular. Growing up in South Carolina the ongoing joke was always how does
a NASCAR fan count to five? One, two, Earnhardt, four, five.
Delbert McClinton
(On a memorable moment with Dale)
I can’t think of any time that I was around Dale that it wasn’t always a
memorable time, because he was an interesting guy. He had such confidence, and confidence
is really attractive. He was a very vibrant guy and being around him was enough. Whether
he talked to you or not -- just being around him was a pleasant thing, you know.
(On describing Dale to a fan that never met him)
All I can say to anybody is if you knew him (Dale) you didn’t have to explain him to
anybody and if you didn’t know him, you can’t explain him to anybody.
Headlining at the all day festival will be superstars Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny
Chesney, Sheryl Crow, the Goo Goo Dolls and Hootie & The Blowfish, with a special
guest appearance by Delbert McClinton. All profits from ticket sales from the Dale
Earnhardt Tribute Concert will benefit the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, which Teresa
Earnhardt established to carry on Dale’s name and good works through the charitable
causes he championed during his lifetime.
The Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert is presented by Kraft/Nabisco, in Association with
Chevrolet and GM Goodwrench. Other Concert sponsors include long-time Dale Earnhardt
partners Bass Pro Shops, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Remington, and Snap-on."
T h e E a r n h a r d t C o n n
e c t i o n
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