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  • THE CMA FEST TELEVISION SPECIAL, FEATURING SOME OF THE HOTTEST PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR, AIRS WEDNESDAY ON ABC.

    Audio
    Carrie Underwood / Chris Stapleton / Dierks Bentley / Keith Urban / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

    Many of your favorite country stars will be featured on ABC’s three-hour special, CMA Fest on Wednesday (August 8th). The concert special was taped during this year’s CMA Music Festival in downtown Nashville in June. For fans who weren’t able to attend, or if you want to revisit the amazing time you had, you can watch Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton, among others, perform on the stage at Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans).

    “I’ve always been the type of artist when I can perform my music for a television audience, it’s the best of both worlds. You get to be in people’s households and they get to always put the face with the song,” says Luke. “I mean, this is like a big, awards-show-type crowd in August and yeah, it’s very important. You don’t want to go out there and lay an egg. You want to go put a great show on, because the fans that are in the room, they’re gonna go watch it again in August. And another thing — it’s gonna make people that may not have been to this festival, they’re gonna want to come be a part of that. So, it’s been fun watching CMA Music Fest grow to where it’s sold out every night, and that’s because we put a cool thing to watch on TV together for the fans.”

    The CMA Fest special, hosted by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini, airs Wednesday (August 8t) beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the CMA Fest television special and how much he enjoys performing on it.

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    Luke Bryan (CMA Music Festival TV) OC: …for the fans. 1:00
    “I’ve always been the type of artist when I can perform my music for a television audience, it’s the best of both worlds. You get to be in people’s households and they get to always put the face with the song. I mean, that used to be a big deal in my career, in my early career, we had to make sure that the people watching at home put it together that this crazy guy was singing in the song. I mean, this is like a big, awards-show-type crowd in August and yeah, it’s very important. You don’t want to go out there and lay an egg. You want to go put a great show on, because the fans that are in the room, they’re gonna go watch it again in August. And another thing — it’s gonna make people that may not have been to this festival, they’re gonna want to come be a part of that. So it’s been fun watching CMA Music Fest grow to where it’s sold out every night, and that’s because we put a cool thing to watch on TV together for the fans.”

    Audio / Keith Urban says he tries to show up and perform on CMA Music Fest every year because of the fans.

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    Keith Urban (CMA Fest TV) OC: …it’s my tribe. :15
    “Well, number one, for the fans, who come from all over the world to be here, and it’s an amazing week for them. But for me personally too, I love the work that all of the CMA Board and all of the Foundation do. You know, they’ve been very good to me over the years, and it’s my tribe.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about CMA Music Fest.

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    Carrie Underwood (CMA Music Festival) OC: …when they’re here. 1:05
    “CMA Music Festival is so much fun, and every year they do a TV special, which is really cool. We kind of get to give the rest of the world that didn’t get to come to the Music Fest a little taste of what it’s like and hopefully they’ll see it and want to come next year. But CMA Music Fest is so much fun. No other genre of music does what country music does for their fans like this, which is so cool. There are literally like hundreds of thousands of people that like descend on Nashville, and there’s not a hotel to be found. Everywhere you go there’s people looking for music and looking to see artists and fan club parties and charity events and the CMT Music Awards are that week. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s kind of a way to get to interact and give back and meet the people that have been coming to see you on tour and get to say thank you. It’s just a blast. I came as a kid growing up a couple of times, and it’s cool to be on that side of things and now to be on this side of things, but I think everybody just has a lot of fun when they’re here.”

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  • LUKE BRYAN TELLS A LOVE STORY IN HIS LASTEST HIT, “SUNRISE, SUNBURN, SUNSET.”

    Audio
    Luke Bryan

    Luke Bryan is poised to enter the top of the country charts with his latest smash, “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” the follow-up to his multi-week No. 1 “Most People Are Good.”

    The song, written by Ryan Hurd, Zach Crowell and Chase McGill, is a song just about everyone can relate to in their life.

    “It tells like a love story that so many of us have been in that summer love story,” says Luke. “Who hasn’t had all those emotions where they fall in love in the summer? They just wake up, you soak up the sun all day, you go to the lake and then you watch the sun go down and then you party into the wee hours of the night. This song captures that moment of youth and young love.”

    The Georgia native has enjoyed watching fans react to the song as it moves up the country charts. “It was a really special song from the first time I heard it to me to be able to record it and then now, for it to be a really, really big song for me and going up the charts and watching the fans sing, ‘Sunrise, Sunburn…’ I mean, it’s so much fun watching the fans react as it becomes a bigger hit.”

    Luke is planning a huge street party outside his new downtown Nashville bar, 32 Bridge Food + Drink, on Monday (September 10th). The bar is located at 301 Broadway, on the corner of Third Avenue South and Broadway. The party starts around 6:30p CT with performances by newcomer Jon Langston, Chelsea Field and DJ Rock.

    If you can’t be in Nashville to catch a free show from Luke, he will be taking his What Makes You Country Tour to San Antonio tonight (September 6th), followed by shows on Friday (September 7th) in Houston and Saturday (September 8th) in Dallas.

    Audio / Luke Bryan says it’s so fun to watch his fans react to his latest hit, “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” a song he describes as a summer love story.

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    Luke Bryan (Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset) OC: …bigger hit. :44
    “This song has been a special song, because it tells like a love story that so many of us have been in that summer love story. Who hasn’t had all those emotions where they fall in love in the summer? They just wake up, you soak up the sun all day, you go to the lake and then you watch the sun go down and then you party into the wee hours of the night. This song captures that moment of youth and young love. It was a really special song from the first time I heard it to me to be able to record it and then now, for it to be a really, really big song for me and going up the charts and watching the fans sing, ‘Sunrise, Sunburn…’ I mean, it’s so much fun watching the fans react as it becomes a bigger hit.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset)

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  • LUKE BRYAN WILL WELCOME GMA AND THE CMAS AT HIS DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE BAR.

    Audio
    Luke Bryan

    Luke Bryan is welcoming ABC’s Good Morning America to his brand new bar 32 Bridge Food + Drink, located on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville to help announce this year’s CMA nominations, along with Sugarland and Dan + Shay.

    Nominees in select categories will be revealed on GMA. Immediately following the show, the remaining categories will be revealed on goodmorningamerica.com and simulcast on GMA’s YouTube channel.

    Luke, two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, says it’s fun to find out who is nominated. “Through the years being able to perform on the CMAs, to have won two Entertainer of the Year awards is so surreal. And every time the nominations come out, it’s so fun to see who is getting nominated and what songs and it’s a special day. I mean, I would be lying if I said I don’t have my fingers crossed for certain things to go my way, but it’s not why I’m in the business to try to get nominations. But it’s certainly amazing when you do get the nominations and when they’re nominations from your peers within the CMA community and the voters. It’s very, very special.”

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about these CMA Awards nominations.

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    Luke Bryan (CMA announce) OC: …very special. :45
    “You know, the ability to welcome GMA and the CMAs and ABC in my bar in downtown Nashville is pretty amazing. It kinda tells me, like, I don’t understand how I’ve gotten here. But through the years being able to perform on the CMAs, to have won two Entertainer of the Year awards is so surreal. And every time the nominations come out, it’s so fun to see who is getting nominated and what songs and it’s a special day. I mean, I would be lying if I said I don’t have my fingers crossed for certain things to go my way, but it’s not why I’m in the business to try to get nominations. But it’s certainly amazing when you do get the nominations and when they’re nominations from your peers within the CMA community and the voters. It’s very, very special.”

  • LUKE BRYAN IS THROWING A PARTY — “LUKE’S 32 BRIDGE PARTY ON BROADWAY” IS SET FOR SEPTEMBER 10TH.

    Audio
    Luke Bryan

    Four-time Entertainer of the Year and Superstar Luke Bryan is planning a FREE Nashville concert in the heart of downtown on Monday, September 10th as the grand opening celebration of his new multi-level venue, LUKE’S 32 BRIDGE FOOD + DRINK.  Luke’s performance will take place just outside the bar at 301 Broadway. Party begins at 6:30pm. Secial guests include Jon Langston, Chelsea Field and DJ Rock.

    “I’ve been looking forward to this for some time,” shared Luke.  “Couldn’t think of a better way to kick this place off than to have a big party right on the streets of Broadway!”

    Last summer, Luke performed in downtown Nashville as part of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final Game 6 drawing 60,000 fans.

    LUKE’S 32 BRIDGE FOOD + DRINK name was inspired by Luke’s childhood home near Route 32 Bridge in Lee County, Georgia and is housed in Nashville’s iconic American National Bank Building.

    “The reason why we named it 32 Bridge is that 32 Bridge is the bridge that goes over the Flint River, and that’s just a special place for me and it tells my story,” explains Luke. “So, we wanted to do pictures, we wanted to do outdoor type scenes and we wanted to have the food and the drinks.

    The facility, in partnership with TC Restaurant Group, opened last month. LUKE’S 32 BRIDGE FOOD + DRINK is a 30,000 square foot venue featuring six levels of entertainment space with eight bars, four stages of live music and two restaurants. It includes Nashville’s only rooftop Sushi Bar as well as a menu inspired by some of Luke’s favorite dishes and one-of-a-kind drinks.

    It’s not just the Georgia native’s name on the bar. He definitely wants everything to be just right for the patrons of 32 Bridge Food + Drink. “I tell all my family and all my friends and now my fans, if something isn’t right, if you’ve got a complaint, hit me up, let me know, and I’ll get it fixed,” he says. “I want it to be an amazing experience for everybody that walks in the door.”

    Go to www.lukes32bridge.com to learn more about LUKE’S 32 BRIDGE FOOD + DRINK.

    Dedicated parking for the event will be at Nissan Stadium.

     

    Audio / Luke Bryan explains why he named his bar 32 Bridge, and he tells everyone “if something isn’t right, hit me up.”

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    Luke Bryan (32 Bridge bar) OC: …in the door. :54
    “The reason why we named it 32 Bridge is that 32 Bridge is the bridge that goes over the Flint River, and that’s just a special place for me and it tells my story. So, we wanted to do pictures, we wanted to do outdoor type scenes and we wanted to have the food and the drinks. And we wanted people to be able to come and go have a dining experience, go have a nightclub experience or just go have a honkytonk experience. So, we covered all aspects. When I have friends or family come into town and they go to the bar and they call me up and go, ‘Oh my God, it was packed. It was fun. People were having fun,’ it puts a smile on my face. And I tell all my family and all my friends and now my fans, if something isn’t right, if you’ve got a complaint, hit me up, let me know, and I’ll get it fixed. I want it to be an amazing experience for everybody that walks in the door.”

  • LABOR DAY 2018: AJ, BILLY, BRANDON, CARRIE, CLARE, DARIUS, DIERKS, ERIC, JON, JORDAN, KEITH, KIP, LADY A, LUKE, MADDIE & TAE, TRAVIS

    Audio
    Alan Jackson / Billy Currington / Brandon Lay / Carrie Underwood / Clare Dunn / Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Jon Pardi / Jordan Davis / Keith Urban / Kip Moore / Lady Antebellum / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae / Travis Denning

    For many decades, Labor Day was seen as a day for workers to voice their complaints and discuss better working conditions and pay.

    U.S. Congress declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894, and on Monday, September 3rd, we will once again celebrate the people in every occupation whose work and dedication make this nation great. Labor Day in the United States is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers.

    Labor Day weekend also signals the unofficial end to summer, and many of the hottest country stars are taking a look back at some of the toughest jobs they had prior to making their mark in music or talking about their dream job now.

    For Labor Day Liners, click here.

    Audio / Alan Jackson says that working man values have always been a part of his music.

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    AJ (working people songs) OC: … appreciate that. :28
    “I’ve always written songs and recorded songs, other people’s songs, about workin’ people, and workin’, the workin’ life ’cause I mean, that’s where I’m from. I mean, I worked…I’d already had jobs and worked as a grown person before I ever even thought about bein’ in the music business, so I come from that background, and…although I hadn’t had a job in a long time (laughs), I still remember a lot about it, you know, and I remember what the lifestyle is, and I still appreciate that.”

    Audio / Billy Currington recalls some of the jobs he had before landing his record deal in 2003.

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    Billy Currington (Labor Day) OC: …record deal. :40
    “I started working like at [age] 12, landscaping. This was summer, every summers, and roofing. I started when I was about 16 roofing houses, and that was probably one of my toughest jobs because down there in south Georgia, it gets hot, so doing that every day all summer long. The pawn shop when I moved to Nashville was one of my favorites, even though it was one of my least favorites. The concrete job was my least favorite of all – six years of that, and I couldn’t take it no more. After that job, that was my turning point. Either I’m going to do something else for a living [laughs] or quit and try to really focus on music and get this record deal.”

     

    Audio / Brandon Lay says he’s always enjoyed the Labor Day Weekend.

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    Brandon Lay (Labor Day) OC: …a good one. :13
    “You know, I can’t complain too much about Labor Day, ‘cause usually doing landscaping and it had slowed down a little, but the water’s still warm enough to hit the river. I’ve gotten to spend some time out on the lake for Labor Day, so Labor Day’s a good one.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about the jobs she had growing up and her best job -- performing for her fans.

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    Carrie Underwood (Labor Day) OC: …born to do. :59
    “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad job. I’ve had hard jobs. I’ve had jobs that worked random hours. My first job was at a gas station, and that was a lot of fun actually. While I was working at the gas station, I took another job at a hotel down the street. There was nobody else working there. I had one day of training and then the next day I came in, and the lady that had worked there the longest and was training me just didn’t show. So, the second day at work I was now in charge ‘cause I was now the senior member that was working at the hotel. So, I feel like that one was really challenging to figure my way through it, but I did. My best job is definitely what I do now. I really like being on stage. I really like performing for people and just having fun and singing, because that’s what I feel like I was born to do.”

     

    Audio / Clare Dunn gets emotional when talking about driving a silage truck in Texas to make enough money to move to Tennessee to follow her dream.

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    Clare Dunn (Labor Day) OC: …had to do. 1:05
    “I was coming for school. I remember I was two weeks late for school [at Belmont], because I had stayed in Texas longer to drive a silage truck for harvest. Harvest was still going on and I needed the money, so I stayed down there. I called all my professors. I explained what I was doing. I said, ‘I’m not going to be there for the first two weeks.’ They all were very, I told them why, and they were all very accepting of that. So, I got home. I was worn out from driving this truck in Texas, and I remember getting home in like the morning or the night before and I left the next day. I literally just chucked as much stuff in a U-haul as I could, and my family was helping me get it all ready while I was on the truck. I remember, everybody cried. I’m probably gonna cry just talking about it, because it was so many unknowns, and I just drove myself out to Tennessee. It was very emotional for me, obviously, just seeing that Tennessee state line sign and being scared to death, but knowing that’s what I had to do.”

     

    Audio / Darius Rucker recalls one of his worst jobs before turning to music.

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    Darius Rucker (Labor Day) OC: …pizza. :15
    “I was fifteen, and I worked at a pizza place, and the guy decided that at fifteen, that I could not only clean the floors and wash the dishes, but I also had to make pizza. So, for two months, he taught me how to make pizza.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley makes a living performing for his fans, and he can’t say enough about them.

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    Dierks Bentley (Labor Day) OC: …generosity. :26
    “Personally, the fans give me amazement. That’s the only word to really sum it up. I look out in the crowd, you know, usually see a lot of faces and fans are cheering. I know each one of these like from the road-the signs are from California…Michelle and Kayla live up in the Ohio area. They’re all, I just see them, and I’m like, ‘Wow!,’ they’re all from different regions. You know when you’re in a different region of the country and you just see certain fans. These people are way more hard core than I am, and I’m just amazed by their generosity.”

    Audio / Eric Church talks about one of his worst job.

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    Eric Church (Labor Day-odd jobs) OC: …bought at 2am. 1:27
    “I had an awful job. I’ve had a lot of awful jobs…my worst one was when I first came to Nashville. I got a job at the Shop at Home Network. I worked midnight, graveyard, midnight to eight. That was bad enough but then I would work all night, go home, shower and then I had writing appointments all day because I was trying to get a career started. I’d go write songs and get meetings just trying to get signed. And end up getting done at 3 of 4 with all of that, I’d go home, take a shower or sleep for a little bit and then I had to be at work again at midnight. So the schedule was bad enough, however, what I had to do at the job…I sold knives from midnight to 7 or 8am. And, anytime somebody calls you at 3 or 4am and needs 200 knives for $19.95, it’s automatically an alarming situation. And I just, I was young and I’d been in a lot of these people’s shoes, I had done this…I knew they were drunk. I knew what they had done. They’d just come home from the bar, flipped on Shop at Home and said, ‘You know what? I need that.’ So the reason the job didn’t last long for me is that I was maybe the worst salesmen in history because I ended up talking a lot of these people out of it, I’d say, ‘I’ll tell you what man, go to bed, call me, I’ll be here in the morning. If you get up in the morning and want these knives you call me back.’ Because I knew what was going to happen, you know. They bought 200 knives for $19.95…first of all some of these people you didn’t know whether you should call the cops. What do you need 200 knives for? Even though I’m selling them…what do you need them for? So, it was awful doing that job. And then they got rid of me because, they were like, ‘You’re the worst. I can’t believe you’re talking people out of it.’ I was like, ‘Man I know…I’ve been there.’ [laughs] I’d want some to talk me out of buying some of the stuff I’ve bought at 2am.”

    Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his worst job, which was at a grocery store.

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    Jon Pardi (Labor Day) OC: …so bored! :17
    “The worst job I ever had was at Hometown Grocery Store. I didn’t want to work. I was 15, and I did not want to work at the grocery store. Bagging was fun, but they sent me down the aisles to pull up cans and turn ‘em around and face ‘em, and I would just get so bored!”

    Audio / Jordan Davis, whose debut single is making its way up the country charts, talks about his worst job.

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    Jordan Davis (Labor Day) OC: …worst job. :41
    “[My] worst job was probably whenever I got out of school I started working for an environmental group in Baton Rouge, and I was doing actual environmental work at first. I went to my boss probably about four months in and told him that I was going to move to Nashville and write songs. Luckily enough, he let me stay on, but I became the weedeater guy for the landscaping side of the business. I seriously weedeated eight hours a day. The only break I would get would be in-between yard to yard. So, like we would be in the car and I would try to doze off for like 10 minutes. I was covered in grass in the middle of the summer in Baton Rouge. It was awful. That was definitely the worst job.”

    Audio / Keith Urban talks about performing for fans.

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    Keith Urban (Labor Day) OC: …amazing. :22
    “Seeing people connect to the music is absolutely, hands-down the biggest reward for me, especially when you go to a place you’ve never been to before and it’s all these people, I mean lots of people out there. You’ve never met a single one of ‘em and they’re singing every word, and you realize that it’s not just a pretty melody and everything, but they get the songs. It’s amazing.”

    Audio / Kip Moore recalls his worst job...ever.

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    Kip Moore (Labor Day-worst job) OC: …than that. :21
    “I’d have to say my worst job ever was laying sod in the south Georgia heat. There’s nothing than that, especially when somebody would think that you’re waiting for the next sod patch to be thrown to you and you got your back turned, and all of a sudden, that big ole piece of sod hits you right on the back. You got nowhere to clean up, and you’re just stuck with dirt on your back for the rest of the day. It doesn’t get any worse than that.”

    Audio / Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum tells us what he used to do to make a buck before finding success as a musician.

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    Lady A (Labor Day) OC: …I had a lot of crummy jobs. :31
    CK “I used to…” HS: “… knock out asbestos walls.” CK: “I did that for a long time. But even before that, I used to do lawn care every summer. Oh, man, I do not miss that. Just glad those days are over. I get out here and play music for a living. It’s a lot more fun. But yeah, I used to do that, and I used to work as a bag boy at a golf course once. I did that for a couple of summers. I had a lot of crummy jobs.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about the different jobs he worked in and around Leesburg, Georgia, before heading to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

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    Luke Bryan (Labor Day-jobs) OC: …Nashville… 1:07
    “At age 12 thru 13, I worked at Rubos IGA Supermarket in Leesburg, GA. I worked during the summers on Monday and Tuesday. I stocked and cleaned up the produce.  They paid me under the table…I peeled off all of the brown lettuce. Let’s see, when I was 15, I was a cashier at K-Mart for two months. I worked at K-Mart for two months, and then I reverted back to Rubos because it didn’t really make sense for me to drive all the way into Albany and work for K-Mart. The benefits were great though-you’d get an hour-long on the blue light special. So I started back at Rubos, and then I quit Rubos and worked for my Dad-just awful just driving tractors through cotton all day, and spraying pesticides that eventually would turn your hair green. And then at some point, I started playing guitar. And well, after college I went back and worked for my dad and continued to spray and haul fertilizer around. And then I moved to Nashville…”

    Audio / Travis Denning has never had another job other than playing music.

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    Travis Denning (Labor Day) OC: …right for it. :13
    “I’ve always played music. I mean, my first gig was when I was 16-years-old. That was what I did. And as soon as I found out I could make money doing it, I thought I’d much rather make money doing this than anything else, so I went right for it.”

  • LUKE BRYAN TO SERVE AS CELEBRITY GUEST GAME PICKER ON ESPN’S COLLEGE GAMEDAY ON SATURDAY.

    Press
    Luke Bryan

    Stadium headliner Luke Bryan will take his “What Makes You Country Tour XL Stadium Sized” to Chicago’s Wrigley Field this Saturday but before hitting the concert stage Luke will make a stop in South Bend, Indiana to serve a celebrity guest game picker on ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot. As the Fighting Irish and the Wolverines are set to play at Notre Dame Stadium to launch their season opener, Luke will visit the iconic set, located in the Library Quad, with host Rece Davis and analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard.

    “I love the excitement as college football season begins,” shared Luke. “Even on tour, we make plans to watch the games every Saturday by setting up our own tailgate area outside our buses.”

    College GameDay Built by The Home Depot is kicking off its 2018 season campaign by paying homage to where it all began: The University of Notre Dame. The 10-time Emmy award-winning pregame show begins at 9 a.m. on ESPN, with Luke expected to appear around 11:30 a.m. He, along with the other analysts, will make his picks for college football’s opening weekend.

    About Luke Bryan
    Luke is a two-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, a five-time host of the ACM Awards, a NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year and he was named a CMT Artist of the Year six consecutive years. Luke has more certified digital singles than any other country artist with 40 million tracks and 12 million albums with three Billion music streams and he was the most-streamed country artist from 2012 to 2016. Luke has placed 20 singles at #1, 11 of which he co-wrote, and has headlined arena tours and sold-out stadiums across the U.S. performing for 1.5 Million fans in 2017 alone. This year, Luke’s “What Makes You Country Tour,” named Billboard Music Awards Top Country Tour, will run through the end of October with 40+ concerts and boasting 13 stadiums shows. In 2019, Luke, along with Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, will return to the judges table for a second season on ABC’s American Idol.

     

    Visit www.LukeBryan.com or follow Luke on Twitter @LukeBryanOnline, Instagram and Facebook

     

  • CARRIE UNDERWOOD RETURNS AS CMA HOST; LUKE BRYAN TO HELP REVEAL FINAL CMA NOMINEES LATER THIS MONTH.

    Audio
    Carrie Underwood / Luke Bryan

    Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley return to host the CMA Awards for the 11th straight year.

    Sharing duties with pal Brad Paisley, she says it’s tough for her to pick specific moments out as a host, saying all of the moments with Brad are wonderful, even though it’s a lot of work being at the helm of the show.

    “Our planning time is, it’s a lot of work and it can be stressful, but it’s also fun too getting in the room with Brad and the writers and we’re just kind of swapping ideas – some good, some bad,” she says with a laugh. “But we’re all working together to put on the show, and we want to be respectful and we want to celebrate Country Music, that’s what we’re there for, but I don’t know if I could pick one moment that’s my all-time favorite moment ever.”

    However, the Oklahoma native, who cannot believe she and Brad have been hosting the awards for 10 years, says one moment in the last couple of years that did stand out.

    “Looking back, we’ve had so many bits and jokes and things like that, but I think my favorite parts of the whole thing are the things that that we get to be involved in that people don’t see,” says Carrie. “You know, like looking back, especially on the 50th Anniversary – that was so amazing being part of that open and kind of having that rehearsal band with my band and Brad’s band and all these legendary artists seeing them all come together and work together and they were swapping stories and laughing with each other because there were so many of them that haven’t seen each other in forever either so, it was just an amazing moment to be a part of. I’d say that’s way high up there on my list of favorite moments for the CMAs.”

    Two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan will help reveal some of the final nominees, along with Dan + Shay and Sugarland, on ABC’s Good Morning America August 28th live from Luke’s new restaurant and bar 32 Bridge Food + Drink in downtown Nashville.

    The highly anticipated announcement will also be available via livestream on ABCnews.com/live. Immediately following the show, the remaining categories, as well as the CMA Broadcast Awards nominees, will be revealed live on GoodMorningAmerica.com as well as “Good Morning America’s” Facebook page through Facebook Live and simulcast on “Good Morning America’s” YouTube channel.

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    Audio / CARRIE UNDERWOOD FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO PICK JUST ONE MOMENT FROM HOSTING THE CMA AWARDS, BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST SO MANY.

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    Carrie Underwood (CMA hosting moment) OC: …it’s all good. :37
    “It’s hard to pick one thing that I enjoy about hosting the CMA Awards. Our planning time is, it’s a lot of work and it can be stressful, but it’s also fun too getting in the room with Brad and the writers and we’re just kind of swapping ideas – some good, some bad. [laughs] But we’re all  working together to put on the show, and we want to be respectful and we want to celebrate Country Music, that’s what we’re there for, but I don’t know if I could pick one moment that’s my all-time favorite moment ever. It’s all good.”

    Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about one of her favorite moments from the CMA Awards.

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    Carrie Underwood (CMA big moment) OC: …for the CMAs. :48
    “Looking back, we’ve had so many bits and jokes and things like that, but I think my favorite parts of the whole thing are the things that that we get to be involved in that people don’t see. You know, like looking back, especially on the 50th Anniversary – that was so amazing being part of that open and kind of having that rehearsal band with my band and Brad’s band and all these legendary artists seeing them all come together and work together and they were swapping stories and laughing with each other because there were so many of them that haven’t seen each other in forever either so, it was just an amazing moment to be a part of. I’d say that’s way high up there on my list of favorite moments for the CMAs.”

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Brandon, Kip, Darius, Luke

    Press
    Brandon Lay / Darius Rucker / Kip Moore / Luke Bryan

    Brandon Lay, who is making his way up the country charts with “Yada Yada Yada,” will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on September 29th!

    Kip Moore, Darius Rucker and Jewel have been added to the list of performers at the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) annual Nashville Songwriter Awards. The event, which will also feature previously announced performers Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion, Brantley Gilbert, Blake Shelton, Scott McCreery and others, will take place September 19th at the Ryman Auditorium.

    Luke Bryan appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America for the second time this week. On Tuesday, he helped announce the CMA nominees from his bar, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink, along with Dan + Shay and Sugarland. On Wednesday (August 29th), he took GMA anchor Paula Faris for a tour around the bar, where they talked about his upbringing, peanuts, family and his multi-week No. 1 smash “Most People Are Good.” Check out the interview here.

  • CMA AWARDS 2018: THE REACTIONS.

    Press
    Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Lady Antebellum / Lauren Alaina / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae

    The CMA nominations were announced Tuesday morning (August 28th), and Luke Bryan is once again nominated for CMA Entertainer of the Year, having won the award twice previously. He says he still has to pinch himself when he thinks about having two of those trophies on his mantel.

    Keith Urban is nominated for three CMA Awards this year, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for Graffiti U. He took to his socials to do what he does best — perform his thank yous for all of the nominations. He said, “[It was] an amazing way to wake up and start the day. I love making music, simple as that. I love making music, and to get to make Graffiti U and have the support that it’s gotten and especially to see that this morning in action, that’s an incredible feeling. So to everybody that made that possible, thank you. Thank you very much.”

    Little Big Town just finished up their Bandwagon Tour over the weekend and woke up to a Vocal Group of the Year nomination. The band has won this award for the past five years.

    Lady Antebellum has won the award for Vocal Group of the Year THREE times; from 2009 through 2011.

     

    Maddie & Tae, who are up for Vocal Duo of the Year said it was a nice surprise to wake up to this morning.

    https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1034455564967927809

    Kacey Musgraves had a pair of nominations, including Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for Golden Road.

    Brothers Osborne earns another nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year, as well as a nod for Musical Event of the Year for “Burnin’ Man” with Dierks Bentley.

     

    Lauren Alaina is nominated for New Artist of the Year, and while she’s going through a difficult time with her family, this nomination came in at the right time.

     

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.



    PLAYER ERROR

  • THE 2018 CMA NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED.

    Audio
    Brothers Osborne / Carrie Underwood / Chris Stapleton / Dierks Bentley / Kacey Musgraves / Keith Urban / Lauren Alaina / Luke Bryan / Maddie & Tae / Vince Gill

    Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay and Sugarland announced the final nominations for The 52nd Annual CMA Awards this morning (August 28th) live on ABC’s Good Morning America from Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink bar located on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville.

    The artists revealed six categories live on-air, then announced the remaining six categories, along with finalists for the CMA Broadcast Awards, on GoodMorningAmerica.com as well as via “Good Morning America’s” Facebook page through Facebook Live, Twitter and simulcast on “Good Morning America’s” YouTube channel.

    Chris Stapleton tops the list of finalists with five nominations. Producer and musician Dann Huff receives four nominations, the second most nominations this year, while nine artists garner three each—Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Janson, Miranda Lambert, Midland, Thomas Rhett and Keith Urban.

    CHRIS STAPLETON – FIVE NOMINATIONS
    Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year (“Broken Halos”), Album of the Year (From A Room: Volume 2), Song of the Year (“Broken Halos”), Male Vocalist of the Year 

    Stapleton leads this year’s CMA Awards nominations with five, adding to his previous 11 nominations and seven wins. He lands his third consecutive nod for Entertainer of the Year in addition to nominations in the Single and Song of the Year categories for “Broken Halos,” produced by Dave Cobb and Stapleton, mixed by Vance Powell, and written by Mike Henderson and Stapleton. Stapleton earns his third nomination for Album of the Year for From A Room: Volume 2, produced by Cobb and Stapleton. He previously won Album for his first two solo albums, Traveller, awarded in 2015, and From A Room: Volume 1, awarded in 2017. Stapleton also receives his fourth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, a category he remains undefeated in, having won the past three years.

    DIERKS BENTLEY – THREE NOMINATIONS
    Album of the Year (The Mountain), Male Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year (“Burning Man”)

    Dierks Bentley earns his sixth career nomination for Album of the Year, alongside producers Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, and Arturo Buenahora Jr., while also marking his fifth consecutive nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year. He also lands a nod alongside Brothers Osborne for Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration “Burning Man,” Bentley’s third nomination in the category. He won Musical Event in 2016 for his song “Different For Girls” (Feat. Elle King). With this year’s nominations, Bentley collects 24 total career nominations.

    KEITH URBAN – THREE NOMINATIONS
    Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year (Graffiti U), Male Vocalist of the Year

    This year marks Keith Urban’s 14th nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year, 11th nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, and his sixth nomination in the Album of the Year category for Graffiti U, bringing his career nominations to 45 with 11 total wins. Urban shares the nomination with the album’s producers Dan McCarroll, J.R. Rotem, Josh Kerr, Jason Evigan, Greg Wells, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid, Jesse Shatkin, Jimmy Robbins, Oscar Holter, Matt Rad, Eric Valentine, Ian Kirkpatrick, Mike Elizondo, Captain Cuts, Copperman, Huff, and Peter Karlsson. Urban is the reigning Single of the Year winner for his song “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” which he also produced.

    The 52nd Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 14th at 8pm ET on ABC.

    For more information and a full list of nominees, visit CMAawards.com.

    The Final Nominees for “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards” (by ballot category order):

    ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
    Jason Aldean
    Luke Bryan
    Kenny Chesney
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    SINGLE OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist, Producer(s), and Mix Engineer(s))

    Broken Halos – Chris Stapleton
    Producer(s): Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
    Mix Engineer(s): Vance Powell

    Drinkin’ Problem – Midland
    Producer(s): Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
    Mix Engineer(s): Justin Niebank

    Drowns the Whiskey – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert)
    Producer(s): Michael Knox
    Mix Engineer(s): Jeff Braun

    Meant to Be – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
    Producer(s): Willshire
    Mix Engineer(s): Serban Ghenea

    Tequila – Dan + Shay
    Producer(s): Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers
    Mix Engineer(s): Jeff Juliano

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist and Producer(s))

    From a Room: Volume 2 – Chris Stapleton
    Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
    Graffiti U – Keith Urban
    Life Changes – Thomas Rhett
    The Mountain – Dierks Bentley

    SONG OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Songwriter(s))

    “Body Like A Back Road”
    Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

    “Broken Halos”
    Songwriters: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton

    “Drowns the Whiskey”
    Songwriter: Brandon Kinney, Jeff Middleton, Josh Thompson

    “Drunk Girl”
    Songwriter: Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas, Chris Janson

    “Tequila”
    Songwriter: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers

    FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Miranda Lambert
    Kacey Musgraves
    Maren Morris
    Carrie Underwood

    MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
    Dierks Bentley
    Luke Combs
    Thomas Rhett
    Chris Stapleton
    Keith Urban

    VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
    Lady Antebellum
    Lanco
    Little Big Town
    Midland
    Old Dominion

    VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
    Brothers Osborne
    Dan + Shay
    Florida Georgia Line
    Maddie & Tae
    Sugarland

    MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to each Artist)

    “Burning Man” – Dierks Bentley Feat. Brothers Osborne
    “Dear Hate” – Maren Morris (Feat. Vince Gill)
    “Drowns the Whiskey” – Jason Aldean (Feat. Miranda Lambert)
    “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” – David Lee Murphy (with Kenny Chesney)
    “Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

    MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
    (Award goes to Artist and Director(s))

    “Babe” – Sugarland (Featuring Taylor Swift)
    Director: Anthony Mandler

    “Cry Pretty” – Carrie Underwood
    Director: Randee St. Nicholas

    “Drunk Girl” – Chris Janson
    Director: Jeff Venable

    “Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett
    Director: TK McKamy

    “Tequila” – Dan + Shay
    Director: Patrick Tracy

    NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
    Lauren Alaina
    Luke Combs
    Chris Janson
    Midland
    Brett Young

    MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
    Jerry Douglas, Dobro
    Paul Franklin, Steel Guitar
    Dann Huff, Guitar
    Mac McAnally, Guitar
    Derek Wells, Guitar

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Audio / LUKE BRYAN SAY WINNING HIS FIRST CMA ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AWARD CHANGED HIS LIFE.

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    Luke Bryan (winning 1st CMA Entertainer of the Year) OC: …big deal for me. :55
    “Definitely looking back and winning my first CMA Entertainer of the Year award is something that I’ll never forget. It’s all of those memories of everything it took to get here and all the sacrifices and all the honkytonks and the late-night concerts and moving to Nashville and leaving your family and your friends, it all came together on that night. To get that from your peers of fellow country music artists was pretty amazing. You never forget it. You forever feel vindicated and you feel appreciated and you feel like you’re a member of a club, and you know no matter how long you live that you left an indelible mark on this industry based on how you go about it, how you entertain and perform. It was a big deal for me.”

    Audio / KEITH URBAN PICKED UP HIS FIRST CMA MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2004, AND HE SAYS IT WAS A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE FOR HIM. HE WENT ON TO WIN THAT AWARD IN 2005 AND 2006.

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    Keith Urban (winning 1st Male Vocalist award) OC: …my life. :27
    “In 2004, I won Male Vocalist of the Year, and again it was that same feeling I had when I’d won the Horizon Award, but it was like the next level.  It just felt so humbling really. Really to be in that category and then to win was again just one of those sort of moments that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

    Audio / Keith Urban explains why he felt the need to name his CMA nominated album, Graffiti U.

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    Keith Urban (Graffiti U name) OC: …that to me. :53
    “The previous two albums I did – Fuse and Ripcord – denoted a kind of energy, and so those titles were chosen for that. And I had some energy-driven titles in mind for this album too, but as the record started to reveal itself to me, the word ‘graffiti’ kept coming to me out of the blue. I’ve always loved that word, loved the sound of the word, and then I loved the fact that it’s art-driven. When I think of graffiti, I think of self-expression, personal expression, absolutely personal expression whether you’re painting something on the side of a building in a city or whether you’re painting ‘Billy Bob Loves Charlene’ on the side of an overpass [laughs], it’s all graffiti and it’s all free and pure and very personal, and I thought this record feels like that to me.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley was inspired by Telluride to write and record his CMA nominated album, The Mountain.

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    Dierks Bentley (album inspired by Telluride) 2 OC: …it was magic. :53
    “I just had this crazy idea to bring some songwriters out there and let them go for hikes and walk around town and just hang and see if they can sense that same intangible vibe that I was sensing, and they did. We jumped right into it and it was really, really special. And everyone immediately starts talking about how can we start getting back out here again, because it’s one of those places you just like never want to leave. Ross said, ‘We should come back out here to make the record,’ and we all kinda laughed about it, but it planted the seed. So, I came back a few months later with a different set of guys and girls, musicians, and we recorded the album out there.” It’s one of those things where you just kind of follow your gut, just keep your heart open to ideas and see what you’re feeling, and once you get that little, tiny feeling, you’ve got to go for it, just like that gut instinct of I want to be a country singer. It’s that little seed that if you believe in it, you’ve got to go for it, try it, so that’s what we did with this album, and it was magic.”

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about the title of her CMA nominated album, Golden Hour.

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    Kacey Musgraves (Golden Hour title) OC: …this record. :34
    “The title Golden Hour just seemed to sum up this chapter of my life perfectly. I mean not only am I from a town called Golden, Texas, but leading up to making this record, there’s been a lot of beauty in my atmosphere and in my world. I love the picture that pops in my head when I hear that title. It’s also an actual song on the record, but it’s just this warm, golden feeling that I’m really happy to have in my life, and I found it to be the perfect title for this record.”