RANGELEY — This year’s Rangeley Health and Wellness annual summer benefit concert, held on July 27, featured Maine musicians Toby McAllister and The Sierra Sounds who opened for Grammy award winning Carly Pearce.

Toby McAllister and The Sierra Sounds of Maine warming up the crowd. Stephanie Dellavalle

Rangeley Health and Wellness Executive Director Jennifer McCormack gave special thanks to Committee Chair Ann Rogers and Events Manager Margarita Dutile, as well a list of sponsors by name before introducing the main act.

McCormack, “We are so excited to have Carly Pearce here tonight. She’s a three-time CMA (Country Music Award) winner and a four-time ACM (Academy of Country Music Award) winner, a member of the Grand Old Opry who has performed on the Opry stage over 100 times. Her current radio single, We Don’t Fight Anymore, featuring Chris Stapleton, just earned her a second Grammy nomination in two consecutive years.”

Throughout the evening Pearce interacted with her fans in a very personal way. She recognized fans by name, signed autographs while performing, and even took the cell phones of some in order to take selfies with them, again while in the middle of performing.

At one point she asked that the crowd from general admission seating be allowed to get right up in front of the stage.

Grammy award winner Carly Pearce at Rangeley Health and Wellness 2024 benefit concert. Stephanie Dellavalle

“Come closer. Please come up here,” she said to them. “Yeah, it feels better. I prefer you to come up here. Maybe we’ll get like closer and we’ll become closer friends and then feel comfortable? Yes. Perfect.”

Dozens of fans complied, passed the VIP section and proceeded to offer up Carly Pearce Albums, hats, and even cowboy boots for her to autograph.

In between songs Pearce spoke about her upbringing, her highs and lows, and her short time in Rangeley.

“I grew up on traditional country music because I grew up in a small town in Kentucky,” she said.

Local favorite Jimmy Austin entertained the pre-concert VIP reception. Stephanie Dellavalle

“When I was a little girl, literally five years old, I told my parents that I wanted to sing on the Grand Ole Opry.”

Pearce made comments about honorable men who kept their wedding bands on.

Pearce, “You still have yours on. Good. That’s a good man. I like that.”

She introduced one of her most popular songs, “What He Didn’t Do,” by offering this advice.

From left: Events Manager Margarita Dutile with Joe Dutile and Randi DeLoreto. Stephanie Dellavalle/Rangeley Highlander

“And so tonight, if you are somebody that when you listen to the words to this song is your relationship that you are currently in. This song makes you think. I want you to do me a favor tonight and I want you to leave that relationship tonight.”

She spoke about girl power, and she also talked about overcoming struggles.

“You think you’re going through the worst thing in the world when you’re going through it, but then it ends up being okay. That’s where I was when I wrote this song. It was back in 2020 when I was going through the hardest season of my life and I wrote it and I read all the lyrics for the phone to my mom because I knew that it was special. And fast forward, Hummingbird the record.”

One of the high points in the evening was when she invited fans to come and sing on stage.

It was a heartfelt moment that was well received.

Pearce also spoke about her interactions with Rangeley locals and the beauty of the area.

At one point she paused to say she was being summoned to stop and look back behind the stage at the sunset and exclaimed, in apparent awe, “I can’t even understand how this place is real.”

Fans who got autographs. Stephanie Dellavalle

Good friends Jackie Morton and Maddy Murphy enjoying the show. Stephanie Dellavalle

The Haas family, volunteers in good spirits for this benefit concert. Stephanie Dellavalle

From left to right: Chart topping sponsor Jodi Cornelio with Hummingbird album ready to have autographed, RRHW Committee Chair Ann Rogers, and RRHW Board President Patti Butler Stephanie Dellavalle

Country fans and peaceful loungers Stephanie Dellavalle

Coordinating country fans and great friends Leslie and Jill Stephanie Dellavalle

Coordinating country fans and great friends Leslie White and Jill Stephanie Dellavalle

Locals Sandy and Ken McDavitt Stephanie Dellavalle