Morgan Wallen invites family of murdered University of Idaho student Ethan Chapin to concert
Wallen also made a donation to the Ethan’s Smile Foundation.
Country singer Morgan Wallen just gave a grieving mother a “bittersweet full-circle moment.”
This past weekend, the controversial musician offered free concert tickets to the family of Ethan Chapin, the 20-year-old student who was one of four victims murdered at the University of Idaho in November 2022. His mother Stacy Chapin previously shared that she and her son had a special connection to one of Wallen’s songs, “I Thought You Should Know.” Word of her story must’ve made it back to the musician, who Chapin says reached out to meet the family to invite them to his San Diego concert.
“On Mother’s Day 2022, Ethan sent me the best text about how @morganwallen had written a song for his mom @lesliwallen and how that could be our song,” Chapin explained in an Instagram post. “It was a very touching moment between us. I listen to ‘I Thought You Should Know’ all the time. I’ve told this story a lot, and to our surprise, a very kind person made an introduction.”
Alongside photos of Wallen posing with the Chapin family, she continued, “Last night, we met Morgan Wallen! He kindly gifted our family and friends tickets to his show in San Diego. Morgan’s mom, Lesli, even flew in! It was an incredibly bittersweet full-circle moment.”
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Chapin added that the kindness didn’t end there. Though she said the concert alone “would have been enough,” Wallen later handed her a donation check for the Ethan’s Smile Foundation, a fund started by the Chapin family to honor Ethan who they note was “always laughing, always smiling.” The foundation prioritizes scholarship funding for students in Skagit County pursuing higher education after high school.
While Wallen has yet to comment on the meeting, his mother replied directly to Stacy Chapin’s Instagram post, writing, “Y’all are so precious. It was an honor to get to meet you.”
Ethan was one of four University of Idaho students brutally murdered at an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho. The other victims included Chapin’s girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, and her roommates, Kaylee Gonclaves and Madison Mogen. Bryan Kohberger, 28, has been arrested and charged in the murders. His trial is scheduled to begin in October.
“Thought You Should Know” is one of the biggest hits off of Wallen’s 2023 album, One Thing At A Time. The former The Voice contestant co-penned the emotional track with Miranda Lambert and Nicolle Gaylon as a tribute to his mother.
