HOT COUNTRY KNIGHTS

Bio

Some said this moment would never happen. But in spite of 30 wasted years
and countless bad decisions, the ’90s influenced country band Hot Country Knights has
come riding in to save Country music from itself, after signing a worldwide recording deal
with Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN). The Knights promise to bring real ’90s
Country music back to a format that’s been drowning in male sensitivity, cashmere
cardigan sweaters.

Famous for never giving up on the dream of the ‘90s, the Knights spent the last few
decades watching as country morphed from a proudly vigorous genre into something
almost unrecognizable. But lead singer Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason, lead bass player
Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray (“Rayro”) Roburn, keytar/fiddle player Terotej
(“Terry”) Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte
Montgomery have the antidote as The K Is Silent puts the “T” back in country.

“Some artists out there tried to put the ‘O’ back in country, that was a thing for a while….
but what it’s really missing is the ‘T,’” band leader Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason said.
“Country music has Low-T right now…it could use a pick me up, if you know what I mean.
Those record label people over at Universal finally realized that only the Knights could be
up to a task this big and hard.”

With a forthcoming project built on the bounding rhythms and bright, organic euphoria of
live Country music – with truly gratifying lyrics. The Knights are adamant about the fact
they could have done it themselves. Instead, they allowed longtime admirer Dierks
Bentley to produce – a partnership born from a deep sense of man-to-man pity.

“Boy he sucks, basically,” says lead guitarist Rayro. “I didn’t want to have to be the one
to say it, but we’re helping him out, let’s just be clear there.”

“When [Dierks] first moved to town he was struggling, and he saw us crushing a big
venue,” Douglason adds, although he can’t recall which Hooters’ parking lot it was. “We
inspired him, so he thinks he’s paying us back in some way by offering to produce us –
but we all know what’s really going on here. He’s trying to grab onto the old mullet and
ride it as hard as he can.”

Despite Bentley’s involvement, the Knights emerged with a collection they predict will
have fans lined up around their local Tower Records and Sam Goody locations, with the
first single “Pick Her Up” featuring Travis Tritt to get the action started.

A classic barnstormer featuring rollicking guitar solos and a freewheeling guest
appearance by ‘90s icon Travis Tritt, it’s a sound the band has dubbed “Hot Country
Knights 101.” “We wanted to introduce our fans to what actual, real country music is,”
Douglason explains. “None of that snap-track shit that’s out there now. So this is just
straight ahead, balls-to-the-wall slapping out that tempo.”

Other unforgettable moments include the modern-day drifter’s lament, “Asphalt,” a
touching ballad about the band’s curve-hugging motivation. As dedicated road warriors,
they’ve basically lived out of a van their entire existence – even when they weren’t
touring.

“The road calls and you answer,” says the Russian born Terry. “You go town to town, you
meet pretty lady, share boiled-rabbit soup, glass of wine, and then you must move on to
next town. It’s just the way it is.”

“It’s really well rounded,” Douglason says of the track’s ample emotional cushion. “It’s a
tender song, and my mom loves it.”

“We’re just keeping it ‘90s, the way it’s supposed to be,” says Travis, the band’s lead bass
player and sometimes co-lead singer.

After all this time, some may ask “Why now?” It comes down to something much more …
substance. According to the band, they couldn’t just sit back and watch Country let its
proud heritage droop and sag.

“See, we were out on the road singing a lot of other people’s hits, and we called
them Greatest Hits because by us singing them, it made them great,” Douglason
explains. “But this is a step beyond our Greatest Hits. This is all original material, and it’s
the best stuff to come out of Nashville since like, 1999. I’m excited for the fans to hear it.”
“And I’m excited for them to buy it,” Rayro adds.

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SAM HUNT’S “OUTSKIRTS” SPENDS THIRD WEEK AT NO. 1 ON BILLBOARD.

Sam Hunt‘s “Outskirts” holds steady at the top of the Billboard Country Chart for a third week in a row. The RIAA Gold-certified tune was written by Sam, along with producer Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers and Josh Osborne.

“Crowds have been singing it louder and louder at the shows, so I’m always happy to hear folks connecting with a song,” says Sam. “So, I appreciate country radio playing it, ‘cause I’ve really been able to measure that on the road.”

Sam recently announced his headlining summer amphitheater kicking off June 28th in Bend, Oregon. On sale now, the 20-city Locked Up Tour runs through September with dates across the U.S. and Canada, and features support artists Russell DickersonGeorge Birge (U.S.), and Dalton Dover (Canada).

Audio / Sam Hunt appreciates country radio for playing his latest chart-topper.

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Sam Hunt (Outskirts catching steam) 2 OC: …on the road. :10
“Crowds have been singing it louder and louder at the shows, so I’m always happy to hear folks connecting with a song. So, I appreciate country radio playing it, ‘cause I’ve really been able to measure that on the road.”

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MOTHER’S DAY 2024

Mother’s Day is observed on the second Sunday of May, and this year, it falls on May 12th. Many of your favorite country artists are celebrating the mothers in their lives this weekend. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.

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Audio / Brothers Osborne’s TJ and John Osborne talk about how their mom’s qualities made them who they are today.

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Brothers Osborne (Mother’s Day) OC: (TJ) …here without you. (LAUGHS) :35
TJ: “You know, Mother’s Day-I feel like Moms, you guys always get it the hardest, it seems. You know, everyone’s hard on their moms and everyone’s like, I think the last thing I wanted for most of my life was like, ‘Gah, I don’t want to be like my mom,’ and then you get older, and I’m like, I do. I want to be like my mom. She’s got a lot of very strong qualities, a lot of qualities that we had growing up I think that have made us us and successful in who we are, are from her. So, you know, here’s to all you mothers out there. You guys, I don’t know…(JOHN: “We couldn’t be here without you.” LAUGHS) Literally…we literally wouldn’t be here without you.” (LAUGHS)

 

Audio / Carrie Underwood says she doesn’t really have any Mother’s Day traditions.

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Carrie Underwood (Mother’s Day traditions) OC: …even more so. :38
“We don’t really have like any Mother’s Day traditions. I feel like I remember me and Dad making breakfast for Mom like once as a kid. I’m pretty sure we just made a giant mess in the kitchen and we never did that again, so. Being on the other side of things, I obviously don’t expect anything, but my husband’s really good at getting presents from quote unquote Isaiah. It’s really sweet, because he likes to bring me things. He’s such a sweet little guy, and anytime he’s outside, he’ll pick me flowers and things. So, I’m like, ‘You’re learning. You’ve already got me wrapped around your finger, and then you do stuff like that, and it’s even more so.’”

Audio / Caylee Hammack describes the qualities she most admires in her mother.

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Caylee Hammack (Mother’s Day) 1 OC: …love fully. :53
“I love that my Mom is a no-nonsense woman. I love that she always speaks her mind and she’s super stubborn, because she handed it down to me and it’s come in handy, to be honest. She’s a great cook. I wish I was half the cook that she is. She’s obsessive about Tupperware and plates, which I used to hate, but now as an adult whenever I break a dish or something, I just call her, and I know that I have one on standby. I love that she loves random things so that I can squirrel them away and take them to Nashville sometimes. And I love that she loves big. She either gives all of her heart or nothing at all; she always gives all of her heart. She loves, you know, she has a bleeding heart, and I think that’s just one of the most beautiful traits in the world is to love fully.”

Audio / Dalton Dover talks about his mother’s sacrifices and lessons she taught him.

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Dalton Dover (Mother’s Day) OC: …dream about. :21
“So, my mom, man, my mom’s a trooper. I mean she’s always been a soldier for me, my brother and my sister. I saw my mom work two jobs and struggle to even buy us Christmas presents on Christmas, you know. She’s definitely taught me a lot in my life – definitely one of the biggest ones is patience. She’s taught me that patience is a virtue, learn from my mistakes and just never give up on something that I love and dream about.”

 

Audio / Darius Rucker talks about not disappointing his beloved mother, who passed away several years ago.

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Darius Rucker (Mother’s Day) OC: …killed me. :17

“I think that’s the main reason I am how I am…an innate fear of disappointing my mom.  My mom’s not even alive, and I have a fear of her looking down from heaven and going, ‘Man I’m just disappointed in my son.’ She could have said anything in the world to me, but if she would have said, ‘Son, you just disappointed me,’ That would have killed me. It would have killed me.”

 

Audio / Darius Rucker recalls one of his favorite memories of his mother.

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Darius Rucker (favorite memory of his mother) OC: …my Mom’s song. :34
“Oh goodness! A lot of great memories of her, but probably one of my favorite memories, I was a young kid, probably eight or nine, and she was in the kitchen cooking and listening to the gospel station and Shirley Caesar’s ‘No Charge’ came on and she was singing ‘No Charge.’ I just remember I ran into our living room which was adjoined to our kitchen and I just sat there and I just listened to her sing that song, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow! What an amazing voice.’ That’s just always a memory I’ve always had, and that song still to this day when I hear it just moves me because that was my mom’s song.”

Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his late mother.

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Darius Rucker (Mother) OC: …in my corner. :44
“My mom was just always great. She worked a lot. She was a nurse and she worked a lot. She took a lot of overtime and stuff to make sure we could live basically, but she always just so supportive, ever since I was a kid. I was always a music kid. Growing up in an African-American neighborhood, I was never that guy who was gonna be pigeonholed to let people say I could only listen to this and I could only do this, because I was African-American. She always supported whatever I wanted to do, whatever I wanted to listen to, wherever I wanted to go, she always had my back. Going to college and everything, she was my biggest supporter and never let my brothers and sisters knock me down or try to tell me I can’t do this or that. All of my success comes because my mother was always in my corner.”

Audio / DIERKS BENTLEY RECOGNIZES AND APPRECIATES HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO BEING A MOTHER.

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Dierks Bentley (Mother’s Day – Cassidy) OC: …to have her. :
“It’s the toughest job out there being a mom, and I know from my life with my wife Cassidy. We work as a team together when I’m home, and it takes everyone to get the job done, me and her, working together. So, when I go on the road, I just have so much respect for her because it’s hard to do it right, if you want to do it great, and she does a great job with it. It’s really rewarding, but it’s also very challenging. I’m so thankful that she takes it on the way she does, and our kids are very lucky to have her.”

Audio / Eric Church says he’s learned quite a bit from his mom.

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Eric Church (Mother’s Day) OC: …as a man. :57
“My mom, even though my dad won’t like this, my mom is by far the toughest person that I’ve met. She’s tough. One of those people that’s been through a lot in her life, adversity wise and never complains, always really resilient with anything that’s happened to her. And it’s just that attitude, the positive attitude, regardless of what has happened that I think is the one thing that I got from her. With career, she’s always been a person that’s been really positive through times that I couldn’t find a positive streak, [laughs] and she was always really positive, and very much believes in tough it out, keep working hard, and that’s her motto with stuff like that. I’ve always been impressed with that stuff. Then musically, she’s where I get my talent from, musically. She sings great, always has, her mom sang great. I owe my musical chops to her. And she still sings some. So, career-wise, I owe her everything. And just in life-wise she’s given me a lot of the qualities that it has taken for me to get me where I am. Not only as a musician, but as a man.”

Audio / Jon Pardi says his mother, Shelly, is an angel.

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Jon Pardi (Mother’s Day) OC: …worrying about me. :29
“My mom’s always been there for me. First of all, she’s a great mom. She’s an angel. She takes care of people that aren’t even in the family. She’s always been like that, and she’s a great mother. She’s always proud, and she’s always there supporting and being a great mom. She’s just a good human being. There’s not one mean bone in her body. And she cries about every time I talk to her. She always worries about me. I have to tell her, ‘Stop worrying about me.’”

Audio / Jon Pardi says his wife Summer is a great mother. The couple is currently expecting their second child.

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Jon Pardi (Mother’s Day-Summer 2023) OC: …you know? :41
“Summer’s been a great Mom. She was meant to be a Mom, really. She popped that baby out in like 45 minutes. It was crazy. Everybody was like, ‘Aw, 12 hour labor.’ And it was just like, boop, popped right out. She looks great. She’s definitely tired all the time, but it’s been fun. It’s been fun. It’s been easy, ‘cause Summer does all the work. I’m ready for the truck rides and the conversations and that stuff. (But) I do change the diapers and whatever

Audio / JORDAN DAVIS SAYS HE’S A “MAMA’S BOY” AND HOPES HE HAS HER KINDNESS AND POSITIVE OUTLOOK.

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Jordan Davis (Mother’s Day) OC: …Mother’s Day. :30 [laughs]
“I’m a Mama’s Boy. I love my Mom, and it’s the way she finds the good in everything. With my Mom, as opposed to finding anything negative, she’s gonna find something positive first. That’s something I really hope I can be more like her on; one of the many things I wish I could be more like my mom on. My mom, she loves flowers, so we’ll get her flowers or take her to, we’re slowly getting her into sushi, so we love to take Mom out to sushi spots on Mother’s Day.” [laughs]

Audio / Jordan Davis explains what he most admires about his wife Kristen as a mother.

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Jordan Davis (Kristen as a mother) OC: …pretty cool. :34
“I would say I admire her (Kristen) most the way she manages time with the kids. Kristen is so good at making sure that every kid gets that one-on-one time with her every day. That’s something that I’m working on as far as like, you know, me and Eloise have like our breakfast dates on Saturdays when I’m home and me and Locke will go play dump truck or whatever he wants to play. And then Eli, you know, it’s just like, you’re just kinda holding him. (laughs) He’s still, he’s still kinda just, he’s still figuring things out, but Kristen is so good at making sure all those kids get time with mom and dad, so it’s pretty cool.”

Audio / KYLIE MORGAN GLOWINGLY TALKS ABOUT HER WONDERFULLY SUPPORTIVE MOTHER.

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Kylie Morgan (Mother’s Day) OC: …that she is. :56
“So, my mom was actually a singer when she was my age, as well, and she decided to be a mama instead. So, when I told her what I wanted to do for a living, she was at first a little, a little scared for me, because it’s a hard road and you have to have a thick skin, but she also is the reason that I am where I am, because she told me I could make it, and I damn sure think I’m going to because of her. And so, every single karaoke contest and every single show that I was playing to no one, she would be there, and she would give me my compliments and then she’d give me my critiques. That’s what I love about her is because she was always there for me no matter what. And that sounds so cliché to say sometimes, like, ‘You’re always there for me,’ but truly in every single moment that I needed someone to be there whether it was a phone call or she was sitting right next to me, she knew exactly what to say and exactly who to be in the situation, which I just hope to be half the woman that she is.”

Audio / LITTLE BIG TOWN’S KIMBERLY SCHLAPMAN SAYS SHE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING A MOTHER…AND HER DREAM CAME TRUE NEARLY 17 YEARS AGO WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH TO DAUGHTER, DAISY (JULY 27, 2007). IN 2017, SHE AND HER FAMILY WELCOMED DAUGHTER DOLLY GRACE.

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LBT (Mother’s Day) OC: …for my mother. :34
“Being a mother is a life-long dream for me. When I was a kid, that’s what I wanted to be is a mama. It took a long time. I wasn’t ever sure that I would be, but I am now, and it’s the greatest gift of my life. And as I’m a mother now, I see what my mother gave up and her sacrifices and her love and how she made us the most important thing in her life, and that’s what I strive to do for my little girl. It’s the most important job I have, and it’s the most responsibility that I have, and I try to live up to a great example that I had for my mother.”

Audio / MADDIE & TAE’S TAE KERR SAID SHE PULLED OFF A GREAT MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE A FEW YEARS AGO.

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Maddie & Tae (Mother’s Day-Tae) OC: …was so fun. :25
TAE: “To this day one of the best surprises I’ve ever pulled off was on Mother’s Day three years ago. ‘Cause my mom’s birthday always tends to fall on Mother’s Day Weekend – it’s coming up – and my mom and dad were coming into Nashville, and I was like, ‘Okay-this has got to be a big weekend. It’s Mother’s Day, her birthday and the weather was going to be beautiful, so I planned this awesome surprise where we would drive first – she wouldn’t know where we were going, and then we ended up going canoeing down the Harpeth River [located south of Nashville], and it was so fun.”

Audio / Maddie & Tae’s Maddie Font says her mother is great at balancing life and that a hug from her mother can fix almost anything.

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Maddie & Tae (Mother’s Day-Maddie) OC: (Maddie) …everything’s okay. :51
MADDIE: “She is so good at balancing is what I’m trying to say. My Mom is such a great balancer, but as I’m coming into our adulthood, and all that kind of stuff, she’s very conscious about when I’m trying to be perfect and have everything in order with everything. And she’s like, you can’t. You can’t do that. Life, you have to figure out how you’re going to deal with the curveballs that are thrown out you. Are you going to catch them and whine out about it or are you going to catch them and move on? Like you have to just go with what’s thrown at you. And my Dad’s been a really, really good supporter on just not letting life’s trials bring you down and letting them just be learning tools and all of that. But, most of the time, a Mama hug can really fix anything.” TAE: “Ahh…it’s the best.” MADDIE: “If my Mom hugs me while I’m crying, everything’s okay. There’s just something about it. I’m grown, but, my Mom, if she hugs me, everything’s okay.”

Audio / Parker McCollum explains the qualities he admires about his mother.

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Parker McCollum (Mother’s Day) OC: …those from her. :20
“I mean, she’s just a fantastic woman who went above and beyond for us as kids to always make sure, probably even when we weren’t able to have things, she still made those happen. Everybody says I look like her. She’s just an incredibly caring and very, very sincere person, so I would hope I got those from her.”

Audio / Priscilla Block says she probably got her musical gene from her mother.

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Priscilla Block (Mother) OC: …game over. :24
“My mom is very talented. She can still play guitar, so yeah, I think I get a lot from here. I was forced to sing at church with my mom every Sunday…my dad had a church so me and my mom would sing worship. That’s how it all kind of started, and then one day I picked up the guitar, and it was game over.”

Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his wife Hannah and how she is a fantastic mother to their two children.

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Sam Hunt (Hannah as a mother) OC: …powerful to watch. :49
“She’s a very spiritual person, no doubt, and she grew up, her dad was a pastor. She grew up in a very spiritual environment, very protected from a lot of things in the world, she didn’t have to engage with a lot of that as a young person, so this spiritual strength, this nurturing intuition that is just, just comes naturally to her, and she is a fantastic mother to our kids. She has a heart full of God, and she is very connected to nature, and like I said, it’s just that spiritual element I think just guides her. That’s where, I think, our deepest wisdom lies, especially when it comes to being a father or a mother, and her connection to that is as strong as anybody I’ve ever seen, so I see her channeling that to our little kids and it’s powerful to watch.”

Audio / SAM HUNT SAYS HE HIT THE MOM LOTTERY WITH HIS OWN MOTHER.

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Sam Hunt (Mother’s Day) OC: … with my mom. 1:10
“I knew I had a great mother, and I was blessed and lucky to be born into my family, but until I got out into the real world, I didn’t realize how unique and rare and how much I really hit the lottery with her. She’s raised in the South, and she is all the things that a lot of Southern women are, the good things, but selfless is the word that comes to mind right off the bat. Her life has been devoted to me, my brothers and our family for as long as I can remember her. So, her life revolved around us and that was something that the love that she showed us through those sacrifices has been, I know, a huge part of my ability to go out into the world and cope with all the things that come my way. I’m standing on firm ground, I know, because I grew up in a loving household and that started with my mom.”

Audio / Shania Twain says it’s such a joy to be a parent.

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Shania Twain (joy to be a parent) OC: …means everything. :14
“It’s such a joy to be a parent. So, I relate to all the mums out there who are getting all their love and appreciation from their kids, and I hope, when you’re a kid, a child of somebody, show your mum you love her, because it means everything.”

Audio / TRAVIS DENNING TALKS ABOUT WHAT HE AND HIS MOM HAVE IN COMMON.

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Travis Denning (Mother’s Day) OC: …like crazy. :29
“You know, my favorite thing about my mom, especially as I get older, is realizing how much me and her have in common. I just love that she’s passionate about music. She loves it. I mean, she’s turned me on to a lot of artists, but at the core like she’s still Mom. She reminds me to do things and does these things which that I couldn’t live without. I love that we get to be friends, we get to be best friends, but at the same time, she’s still Mom and she still loves me and my sister like crazy.”

Audio / TYLER HUBBARD TALKS ABOUT THE BEST QUALITIES OF BOTH HIS MOM AND HIS WIFE.

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Tyler Hubbard (Mother’s Day) OC: …cool to see. :42
“I’d say my own Mom I respect and really appreciate how she, she knows what she believes and she stands for it, you know? And she has her boundaries, and she knows what she believes and I just respect that. I think that’s really cool, and I’ve always looked up to her for that. As far as my wife being a mother, it’s incredible to watch her be a mom. I would say the first thing that would come to mind is patience. I think she’s a really patient person, and with three little kids, patience really is a virtue and it’s definitely a virtue that I don’t have a lot of and so I respect and admire it even more in her and try to learn from her. But, yeah, I’d say patience is one of her greatest qualities and gifts, and as a mom, especially, it’s really cool to see.”

 

LUKE BRYAN ANNOUNCES FARM TOUR 2024.

Five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan will headline his 15th FARM TOUR this September setting up stages in the fields of local farms September 21st-28th, 2024. Four of the six concerts were announced today, including two stops at brand new farms included in the schedule this year. Special guests include Conner Smith, Tucker Wetmore, the Peach Pickers (songwriters Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip), and DJ Rock. The additional two concerts will be released soon.

 

 

Tickets for FARM TOUR are on sale May 9th at 10AM local time at LukeBryan.com.

Presale tickets for Luke’s Fan Club (the Nut House) and fan App are available beginning May 6 at 10AM Local time at LukeBryan.com/all-access-pass.

Citi is the official card of FARM TOUR. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning May 6th at 10AM local time through the Citi Entertainment® program. For complete presale details visit  www.citientertainment.com.

 

9-21     Marshville, NC            Huggins Store*

9-26     Shelbyville, KY            Mulberry Orchard

9-27     Millersport, OH           Miller Family Farm

9-28     Smithton, PA               Cunningham Family Farm*

*Never-been-played before

 

Thousands and thousands of fans have attended the tour each year since its inception in 2009. Luke continues to give back to the farmers by awarding college scholarships to students from farming families who are attending the local college or university near the tour stops. To date, 83 college scholarships have been granted.

Continuing a partnership that began in 2015, Bayer will remain presenting sponsor this year and will team up with Luke for its annual Here’s to the Farmer initiative benefitting Feeding America®. The campaign celebrates America’s hard-working farmers for helping provide people in the U.S. and around the world access to critical nutrition. To support the initiative, fans should share #HeresToTheFarmer on their social media channels now through October 31, 2024. Through this program, more than eight million meals have been provided to people experiencing hunger through the Feeding America® network of food banks.*

Over the past two years, Luke joined Fendt, a Farm Tour sponsor, to create Luke Bryan’s Boldy Grown Popcorn and Luke Bryan’s Boldy Grown Peanuts. Each year when the limited-edition snacks sold out, Fendt donated to the National FFA Organization, the premier youth organization that prepares members for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture. Fendt donated $75,000 throughout the partnership.

 FARM TOUR 2024 is sponsored by Bayer, Fendt, and Citi.

 

Audio / Luke Bryan explains why he continues to do his Farm Tour year after year.

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Luke Bryan (Farm Tour 2023) OC: …year after year. :24
“The beauty of Farm Tour is we’re out there on the farm. We’re helping people feed Americans. We’re giving out scholarships. You’ve got 20,000 people piling into an alfalfa field, corn field, hay field, it doesn’t matter. It’s a field. But when you put that many people out there in the Fall where the temps are kinda getting a little cool at night, nothing is more special than Farm Tour and that’s why I keep doing it year after year.”

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