After a gunman killed 58 people and injured close to 500 while Jason Aldean was onstage in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, Jason opened Saturday Day Night on Oct. 7 with a message of hope before performing a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”
Jason’s cover of “I Won’t Back Down” is now available across digital retailers and streaming services, with all proceeds going to the Direct Impact Fund to benefit victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
“I’m Jason Aldean,” said Jason from the SNL stage. “This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I’m struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting—they’re our children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends. They’re all part of our family. So I want to say to them, we hurt for you and we hurt with you. You can be sure that we are gonna walk through these tough times together every step of the way, because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit, it’s unbreakable.”
Jason performed “I Won’t Back Down,” a song made famous by Tom Petty, who passed away on Oct. 2. After his performance, Jason opened the show by saying “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”
