Nadel marks milestone birthday with annual benefit concert
This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ARLINGTON -- A milestone birthday deserves a big party. That’s what legendary Rangers broadcaster Eric Nadel wants. And that’s what he deserves.
Nadel’s 14th annual Birthday Benefit returns in 2026 for his 75th with a new slate of performers and auction items. Last year, the event moved to the bigger Longhorn Ballroom in South Dallas, which has about three times the capacity of the Kessler Theater, which hosted for many years prior.
“This year's concert will be a big, festive party for my 75th,” Nadel said. “Both bands are sensational, although they’re relatively unknown in Texas. I’m asking everyone to trust me that they will put on a spectacular show! Tickets start at just $25, so it doesn’t have to cost a lot to come have a fabulous time and support a great cause."
The only thing Nadel loves as much as calling Rangers games is probably music. That’s where the idea for the benefit concert came from all those years ago.
This year’s concert will feature Chuck Prophet, who has been critically acclaimed for decades, as well as headliner Sammy Rae & The Friends, who puts on a unique show that includes a blend of classic rock, folk and funk and sprinkled with soul and jazz.
WHEN: Thursday, May 14, 2026
6:30 p.m. Doors open
7:30 p.m. Chuck Prophet & His Cumbia Shoes perform
9:30 p.m. Sammy Rae & The Friends perform
WHERE: Longhorn Ballroom, 216 Corinth St., Dallas, TX 75207
For more information and tickets, click here.
There will be a live auction the day of the event. A silent auction is already open online. Fans can text enbb to 44834 to see the many unique experiences available, including lunch with Rangers manager Skip Schumaker at Shift 4 Arena at Texas Live!, lunch or dinner with Rangers Sports Network hosts Elvis Andrus and Jared Sandler at Chiloso, and the Ultimate Texas Rangers Game Day VIP Experience.
The silent auction also includes signed memorabilia from all Dallas-based sports teams and more.
For the fifth year in a row, profits from Nadel’s benefit concert will support the Grant Halliburton Foundation, a Dallas-based nonprofit that provides mental health education, resources, and support to children, teens and their families.
The Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before he died by suicide at the age of 19.
The Foundation has become a primary resource for mental health issues in North Texas ever since, and the partnership between Grant Halliburton and Nadel has grown more and more year after year.