Lady Antebellum speaks ahead of special Henryville benefit concert

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Editor's note: Country powerhouse trio Lady Antebellum speaks to Daybreak’s Lauren Lowrey and Scott Sander about the upcoming benefit concert for Henryville High School.

From a studio in New York City, Grammy award winning country group Lady Antebellum expressed excitement for their upcoming private prom concert for Henryville High School juniors and seniors.

"Honestly we were truly heartbroken as soon as we heard about it," said the trio’s female vocalist Hillary Scott. “I was born and raised in Nashville and we know about a community having to come together to really love on each other, and what we saw happen in Henryville was just inspiring to watch."

Henryville High school, which housed kindergarten through 12th grade students, was destroyed March 2 when an EF-4 tornado ripped the roof from the school in no more than 20 seconds. At the time, Lady Antebellum was holding an online competition for a high school to win a private performance by the band at the school’s prom.

"Hillary had this idea for a prom contest a while back,” said the band’s lead male vocalist, Charles Kelley. “It’s based off our album 'Own the Night.' All of a sudden we had all these schools on behalf of Henryville send in submissions saying, ‘They deserve this so much,’ and it was just the most perfect thing that could ever happen and it turned in to a much bigger concept."

Schools from Indiana to northern Wisconsin — even one in a similarly tornado-ravaged Illinois community — submitted YouTube videos urging the country trio to choose Henryville as the winner of its "Own the Night" contest. On March 20 the band announced Henryville High School was the winner of the contest and would receive a private 45-minute concert from the trio.

Wednesday morning, Daybreak Anchor Scott Sander asked the group whether this concert, planned for May 16, would be similar to the show they’re currently on tour for. Members of the band responded coyly.

“Well, we don't want to give away too much,” said Kelley.

Background vocalist and musician Dave Haywood chimed in “there will be some prom themed stuff!”

"We were talking about yesterday dressing up in our prom outfits that we wore in high school,” said Scott.

The private prom concert will be held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on May 16. The event will be followed by a concert open to the public, which will take place at 8:30 p.m. All proceeds raised from the concert will go toward the New Hope/Indiana Bankers Association for the benefit of the Disaster Relief Fund.

Lady Antebellum’s platinum third disc “Own the Night” debuted at the top position on Billboard’s Top 200 in November and leads first quarter country album sales. The ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year has sold over 6 million albums across the globe, spawned six number one hits, scored seven Grammys (most recently Best Country Album) and over a dozen other award show trophies.