The Event: A Roof Rises for Corpus Christi
On August 20, the air was still thick with salt and sorrow in Corpus Christi. Just weeks earlier, torrential rains had overwhelmed the coastal city’s aging infrastructure. Streets turned to rivers. Homes were ruined. Churches and schools became makeshift shelters.
But on this night, at Dolphin Stadium, people came not to mourn — but to lift something higher.
Country-rock legend Don Henley, a Texas native, and longtime friend Vince Gill reunited for a one-night-only benefit called “Raising the Roof” — a title that meant more than just applause. The event aimed to rebuild roofs — literally — for families who lost everything.
With a crowd of nearly 15,000 under soft stadium lights, Henley stepped out quietly, greeted by roaring cheers that faded into stillness when he spoke:
“Texas raised me. It’s only right I help raise it back.”
Gill followed with warmth and soul, offering humor between heartfelt sets. The two didn’t just perform — they listened. During intermissions, they introduced flood survivors who shared their stories, many in tears. First responders received standing ovations. And the funds raised — over $3.7 million by night’s end — were pledged to Corpus Christi Strong Relief Fund to rebuild 100+ homes before winter.
But the emotional centerpiece of the evening came when Henley dusted off a song he hadn’t performed live in years — a song about time, memory, and what we lose when we look away.
The Song: “Boys of Summer” – A Ghost of Youth, A Song of Survival
Released in 1984, “Boys of Summer” wasn’t a typical love song. It was haunted, poetic, wrapped in synths and heartbreak. Written in the ashes of The Eagles’ first breakup, it was Henley at his most exposed.
“Nobody on the road… nobody on the beach…”
“I can see you — your brown skin shining in the sun…”
But beneath the surface, it’s a song about grief — about things we let slip away and can never truly get back. Youth. Love. Summer. Safety.
On this night in Corpus Christi, the song hit differently.
The crowd — older now, weathered like Henley himself — swayed not just to nostalgia, but to recognition.
They knew about loss. About fading summers. About the slow march of time.
And when Henley sang “I thought I knew what love was, what did I know?” — it was no longer just a lyric.
It was a question the whole city had asked, standing ankle-deep in floodwater.
But it wasn’t all sadness. The song reminded them what remains:
Resilience.
Memory.
The will to rebuild.
Even after the boys of summer have gone.
And maybe that’s what healing sounds like.
An old song. Sung in a new way. On a night when Texas raised its roof — and its spirit — together.