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  • LUKE BRYAN SELLS OUT SIXTH CONSECUTIVE STADIUM SHOW.

    Press
    Luke Bryan

    Nashville – (June 22, 2015) – Back on the road after the CMA Music Festival and his win at the CMT Awards, ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan played three sold-out shows this weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Bonner Springs, Kansas and the “Kick The Dust Up Tour” stop at Minneapolis’ TCF Stadium.  The sold-out stadium show marks Luke’s sixth consecutive stadium sell out.

    Luke’s “Kick The Dust Up Tour” continues this weekend with double night performances in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Washington, D.C.  The tour will run through October, taking only a short break in August for the release of KILL THE LIGHTS, his fifth studio album in stores Friday, August 7th.

    2015 “Kick The Dust Up Tour”:

    6-24        Virginia Beach, VA             Farm Bureau Live

    6-25        Virginia Beach, VA             Farm Bureau Live

    6-26        Washington, D.C.                Jiffy Lube Live

    6-27        Washington, D.C.                Jiffy Lube Live

    6-28        *New York, NY                     FarmBorough Festival

    7-9          *Durant, OK                         Choctaw Events Center

    7-11        Nashville, TN                      Vanderbilt Stadium

    7-16        St. Louis, MO                       Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

    7-17        St. Louis, MO                       Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

    7-18        Cincinnati, OH                    Paul Brown Stadium

    7-20        Gilford, NH                           Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook

    7-21        Gilford, NH                           Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook

    7-22        Gilford, NH                           Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook

    7-24        Indianapolis, IN                   Klipsch Music Center

    7-25        Indianapolis, IN                   Klipsch Music Center

    7-26        *Twin Lakes, WI                  Country Thunder Festival

    7-30        Scranton, PA                        The Pavilion at Montage Mountain

    7-31        Pittsburgh, PA                       First Niagara Pavilion

    8-1          Pittsburgh, PA                       First Niagara Pavilion

    8-15        *Brownsville, OR                 Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival

    8-21        Atlanta, GA                          Philips Arena

    8-22        Atlanta, GA                          Philips Arena

    8-26        Salt Lake City, UT              USANA Amphitheatre

    8-27        Salt Lake City, UT              USANA Amphitheatre

    8-29        San Francisco, CA             Levi’s Stadium

    9-3          Darien Center, NY               Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

    9-4          Darien Center, NY               Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

    9-5          Cleveland, OH                    FirstEnergy Stadium

    9-11        Philadelphia, PA                  Susquehanna Bank Center

    9-12        Philadelphia, PA                  Susquehanna Bank Center

    9-17        Jacksonville, FL                   Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

    9-18        Tampa, FL                            MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

    9-19        West Palm Beach, FL         Coral Sky Amphitheatre

    9-20        West Palm Beach, FL         Coral Sky Amphitheatre

    9-24        Charlotte, NC                       PNC Music Pavilion

    9-25        Raleigh, NC                          Walnut Creek Amphitheatre

    9-26        Raleigh, NC                          Walnut Creek Amphitheatre

    10-15     Sacramento, CA                  Toyota Amphitheatre

    10-16     San Diego, CA                      Sleep Train Amphitheatre

    10-17     Irvine, CA                             Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre

    10-18     Irvine, CA                             Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre

    10-22     San Antonio, TX                  Alamodome

    10-23     Dallas, TX                             Gexa Energy Pavilion

    10-24     Dallas, TX                             Gexa Energy Pavilion

    10-28     Chicago, IL                           United Center

    10-29     Chicago, IL                           United Center

    10-30     Detroit, MI                           Ford Field

    *Festival / event dates (not “Kick The Dust Up Tour” date / line up)

    For up to date information on Luke, the tour and tickets go to www.lukebryan.com or www.livenation.com.

     

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  • CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL HAS A LOVE AFFAIR WITH COUNTRY ARTISTS.

    Audio
    Darius Rucker / Luke Bryan

    CMA Music Fest 2015 is winding down on the last full day, to include performances from Darius Rucker, Eric Church, Keith Urban and many more to close it out. Over the course of several days, hundreds of artists performed and thousands upon thousands came to Nashville to see them. For the artists themselves, they love this week to get up close and personal with the fans.

    “I truly love this week for, I mean, hundreds of reasons. I always remember my first ones starting out and doing River Stages and always dreaming of coming over here and performing at LP Field,” says Luke Bryan. “I did my fan club party, and I truly love that opportunity to do that show for them really, really kind of acoustic and a chance to kind of sit there and be real with them for a little bit, and then obviously through the day and being here tonight. It’s an amazing night of music and an amazing week for Nashville and it’s a great, great week for me.”

    Darius Rucker agrees with Luke’s sentiment about the week. “Being at CMA Fest, I love it! It’s such a great festival, and I can’t believe they can put it together every year and get everybody to play every year. It’s so great for Nashville, and it’s great for country music.”

    Tickets for next year’s CMA Music Festival go on sale Friday, June 19th.

    Audio / Backstage at CMA Music Fest at LP Field, Luke Bryan expresses his love for his fans and for this very special week in country music.

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    Luke Bryan (CMA Music Fest 2015) OC: …in for this week. :50
    “I truly love this week for, I mean, hundreds of reasons. I always remember my first ones starting out and doing River Stages and always dreaming of coming over here and performing at LP Field. I did my fan club party, and I truly love that opportunity to do that show for them really, really kind of acoustic and a chance to kind of sit there and be real with them for a little bit, and then obviously through the day and being here tonight. It’s an amazing night of music and an amazing week for Nashville and it’s a great, great week for me. And then, like I said, I get to be home and do all this stuff. I was at the house playing with the boys and came in and sound checked and been here. It’s always been a fun week for me. A lot of my family comes in for this week.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about CMA Music Fest.

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    Darius Rucker (CMA Music Fest 2015) OC: …I think. :12
    “Being at CMA Fest, I love it! It’s such a great festival, and I can’t believe they can put it together every year and get everybody to play every year. It’s so great for Nashville, and it’s great for country music, I think.”

  • CMT MUSIC AWARDS WILL INCLUDE SOME BIG PERFORMANCES.

    Audio
    Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Lady Antebellum / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

    Several of your favorite artists will be attending Wednesday night’s CMT Music Awards, including Video of the Year nominees Luke Bryan (“Play It Again”), Dierks Bentley (“Drunk on a Plane”), Darius Rucker (“Homegrown Honey”), Sam Hunt (“Leave the Night On”), Lady Antebellum (“Bartender”).

    Luke, Eric Church, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Darius and Sam, as well as Carrie Under, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, Reba and Zac Brown Band, are scheduled to perform.

    Darius will sing to several thousand folks during an outdoor performance down the street from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, while Keith will perform his brand new single, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” during the show. The members of Lady A are pairing up with DJ-producer Zedd with an EDM-inspired country performance.

    Dierks’ alter-ego Captain Holden Mike Johnson performed “Drunk on a Plane” during last year’s CMT Music Awards and apparently made out like a bandit. “Last I’d heard, he’d been demoted, and he’s flying a little Cessna smiling somewhere where there’s no FAA regulations after his CMT performance debut,” says Dierks. “He’s a strong man with a strong look, and I don’t know…He took my wife home from the CMT Awards, so he’s got some moves.”

    Darius says he’s just happy to be nominated this year. ““It’s really just one of those things where I’m really happy to be nominated, because I didn’t expect that all,” says Darius. “What I always look forward to is the performances, because you never get to see anybody because we’re always on the road and you only see the guys you play with.”

    Sam Hunt has two nominations – Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year — for his first official music video, “Leave the Night On.” He made a couple of videos prior to getting signed to MCA Nashville, and said he learned a lot. “I learned from making a few of these low-budget videos early on that the best way to go about doing it is just try to keep it honest and real and all of the people in the ‘Leave the Night On’ video was friends of ours,” says Sam. “We didn’t really want to hire actors and actresses to come in. It’s just hard to stage a good time. You kinda have to just let it naturally happen. So, that was a good thing about that video is that it turned into a just a fun day hanging out with all of our buddies, and we had a really good time making the video.”

    The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus will be on hand to dole out trophies, as will Little Big Town, Dancing With the Stars champ Rumer Willis, action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger,  Nikki Reed, Aloe Blacc, Billy Ray Cyrus, Brett Eldredge, Cassadee Pope, Cole Swindell, David Spade, Hunter Hayes, Jana Kramer, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Houston Texans JJ Watt, Kellie Pickler, American Idol’s Nick Fradiani, Noah Galloway, Ron White, Sara Evans, Thomas Rhett and Tom Arnold will also present.

    The six finalists for video of the year will be announced at the beginning of the live show, and fans can then vote at CMT.com throughout the live telecast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

    The 2015 CMT Music Awards will broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Wednesday (June 10th) at 8pm ET.

    Video of the Year
    Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”
    Darius Rucker, “Homegrown Honey”
    Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”
    Florida Georgia Line, “Dirt”
    Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down”
    Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
    Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
    Lee Brice, “I Don’t Dance”
    Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”
    Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
    Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”
    Sam Hunt, “Leave the Night On”

    Male Video of the Year
    Dierks Bentley, “Drunk on a Plane”
    Eric Church, “Talladega”
    Jason Aldean, “Burnin’ It Down”
    Keith Urban, “Somewhere in My Car”
    Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”
    Luke Bryan, “Play It Again”

    Female Video of the Year
    Carrie Underwood, “Little Toy Guns”
    Carrie Underwood, “Something in the Water”
    Lee Ann Womack, “The Way I’m Livin'”
    Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon”
    RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
    Reba, “Going Out Like That”

    Group Video of the Year
    A Thousand Horses, “Smoke”
    Eli Young Band, “Dust”
    Lady Antebellum, “Bartender”
    Little Big Town, “Day Drinking”
    The Band Perry, “Chainsaw”
    Zac Brown Band, “All Alright”

    Breakthrough Video of the Year
    Chase Rice, “Gonna Wanna Tonight”
    Frankie Ballard, “Sunshine & Whiskey”
    Kelsea Ballerini, “Love Me Like You Mean It”
    Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
    RaeLynn, “God Made Girls”
    Sam Hunt, “Leave the Night On”

     

    Duo Video of the Year:
    Big & Rich “Look at You”
    Brothers Osborne “Rum”
    Florida Georgia Line “Dirt”
    Florida Georgia Line “Sun Daze”
    Maddie & Tae “Girl in a Country Song”
    Swon Brothers “Later On”

    Collaborative Video Of The Year
    Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe, Lonely Tonight
    Brantley Gilbert feat. Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett, Small Town Throwdown
    Jennifer Nettles feat. Brandy Clark, His Hands
    Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter, Wild Child
    Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood, Somethin’ Bad
    Tim McGraw feat. Faith Hill, Meanwhile Back at Mamas

    CMT Performance Of The Year
    Brett Eldredge, Beat of the Music from CMT’s Ultimate Kickoff Party
    John Legend and Lee Ann Womack, You & I (Nobody In The World) from CMT Crossroads
    Katy Perry and Kacey Musgraves, Roar from Crossroads
    Keith Urban, It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World from 2014 CMT Artists of the Year
    Kenny Chesney, American Kids from Instant Jam
    Lady Antebellum and Aloe Blacc, Wake Me Up from CMT’s Ultimate Kickoff Party
    Lady Antebellum and Chris Stapleton, Drink a Beer from 2014 CMT Artists of the Year

    Audio / Dierks Bentley gives an update on Captain Holden Johnson, who performed “Drunk on a Plane” at last year’s CMT Music Awards.

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    Dierks Bentley (CMT—Drunk captain) OC: …some moves, yeah. :26
    “Captain Holden Mike Johnson – I don’t know where he is right now. Last I’d heard, he’d been demoted, and he’s flying a little Cessna smiling somewhere where there’s no FAA regulations after his CMT performance debut. I don’t know. I think he’ll still come around every now and then. He’s a strong man with a strong look, and I don’t know. Management’s not too excited about him, but we’ll see. [laughs] He took my wife home from the CMT Awards, so he’s got some moves, yeah.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker says he’s just happy to be nominated at this year’s CMT Music Awards.

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    Darius Rucker (CMT performances) OC: …play with. :11
    “It’s really just one of those things where I’m really happy to be nominated, because I didn’t expect that all. I’m looking forward to, what I always look forward to is the performances, because you never get to see anybody because we’re always on the road and you only see the guys you play with.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his music video for “Leave the Night On,” which is nominated for CMT Video of the Year.

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    Sam Hunt (Leave the Night On video) OC: …making the video. :38
    “‘Leave the Night On’ was my first official music video, although I have a bit of a passion for the video world because my manager, Brad, comes from the videographer world. That’s how our relationship started was shooting this little video for another song about six months before that. But I learned from making a few of these low-budget videos early on that the best way to go about doing it is just try to keep it honest and real and all of the people in the ‘Leave the Night On’ video was friends of ours. We didn’t really want to hire actors and actresses to come in. It’s just hard to stage a good time. You kinda have to just let it naturally happen. So, that was a good thing about that video is that it turned into a just a fun day hanging out with all of our buddies, and we had a really good time making the video.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley talks about the band's CMT video nomination for "Bartender."

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    Lady A (Bartender video) OC: …was perfect. :34
    “I think there’s no surprise why ‘Bartender’ is in video of the year — Kate Upton. You’ve got all these guys sitting there voting, and the first thing that pops in their mind is Kate Upton. And so, that was all part of the plan, so our evil plan worked. But, that was definitely one of the most fun videos to shoot, having Kate Upton and Tony Hale. He was hilarious. I mean, he took the video to a whole ‘nother level. So, we’re just really proud of that video. Shane Drake did a great job, and just kind of really actually took this basic concept and really brought it to life. I thought it was perfect.”

  • CMA MUSIC FEST 2015: Darius, Dierks, Easton, Church, Paslay, Josh, Keith, Lady A, LBT, Luke, Scotty

    Audio
    Darius Rucker / Dierks Bentley / Easton Corbin / Eric Church / Eric Paslay / Josh Turner / Keith Urban / Lady Antebellum / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Scotty Mccreery

    It’s that time again! The CMA Music Festival begins this week in Nashville, and the stars are ready to come out to perform and check in with their fans!

    Audio / Darius Rucker is making a couple of appearances during this year’s CMA Music Festival. On Monday (June 8th), he hosts his 6th annual Darius and Friends concert at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon and his golf tournament. Proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Darius is also set to perform at LP Field (home of the Tennessee Titans) on Sunday, June 14th where he will entertain the crowd with his list of hits.

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    Darius Rucker (CMA Music Fest) OC: …awesome. :48
    “Music Fest is like nothing else. I say all the time that country music is the only genre that could have something like that. It’s truly amazing, when I come that weekend, people are everywhere and they want to be your best friend. It’s always cool and I love coming here. The thing that always gets me is the show. The fact that you can get that many superstars at one show all playing for free, for the same goal, to entertain those people that are in that stadium that come here for the whole week from all over the world. They come here for one week to see country music, and it’s amazing that those artists say on Friday and Saturday night, this is country music come on out. That’s awesome.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about the lengths that fans will go to show their appreciation.

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    Dierks (fans) OC: …commitment. [laughs] :22

    “I know a lot of the early fans by name, because we played a lot of shows at a lot of small venues where we’d be around a lot after the shows. I’m not gonna say her name ‘cause I don’t know if she’d want me to or not, but she has like a dog print of Jake, my dog’s Jake, but she has this dog print on her shoulder with my name in the middle of the tattoo. So, tattoos are always, that’s a big deal when somebody gets your name tattooed on part of their body or something. It’s kind of a scary thing, because it’s kind of a lifelong commitment. [laughs]”

    Audio / Easton Corbin says his fans are very important to him.

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    Easton Corbin (fans) OC: …being here. :24
    “My fans mean a great deal to me, especially the fans that come out to the shows and the ones that make it to every show around their home or in that vicinity. And I even have people come here that I know every time, in this meet-and-greet lines or maybe at that fence over there by the fence where you’re getting off the red carpet, I try to always make it a point to recognize those fans, and just let them know how much that I care and I appreciate them being here.”

    Audio / Eric Church, who’s performing at LP Field (home of the Tennessee Titans) on Sunday (June 14th), says CMA Music Festival is special and unique to country music.

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    Eric Church (CMA Music Fest) OC: …to see. :32

    “Well, I think it’s what makes country music unique. Find me another format that happens in, it’s just not something that happens. I think it’s because country music is really the one format that the fans…the music is really about them. And we’re them; we’re not different than them. You got a lot of rock stars and a lot of the other guys where they’re their own person, they’re their own agenda…they’re not like the people that are listening to them. It’s different in country, we are. We come from there, we are that. I think it’s just a great thing for them to be able to come to our town and to get just this barrage of music.”

    Audio / Eric Paslay recalls the first autograph he ever received.

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    Eric Paslay (1st autograph) OC: …first autograph. :42
    “The first autograph that I ever got was in Branson, Missouri, and it was Shoji Tabuchi, and he’s a great fiddle player, and I always remember that, you know if you go to Branson, you know who he is. But I was a 9, 10 year old kid, and I always remember that. Every time I meet a kid, I don’t know if it’s their first concert. It could be their 100-thousandth, but whenever I sign an autograph for a kid, I really make sure it’s special and memorable, and with anybody, but especially with kids. I still have that Shoji Tabuchi autograph, you know? Because it meant that much to me. I didn’t know who he was until we saw him, but he tore the place down playing the “Orange Blossom Special.”

    Audio / Josh Turner recalls one of the weirdest things he’s ever had to sign from one of his fans.

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    Josh Turner (weirdest thing he’s been asked to sign) OC: …Sharpie, though. :10
    “A toothpick, an unused toothpick, let me throw that out there – an unused toothpick. It was quite challenging, actually, and it didn’t look anything like my autograph. It took a really small Sharpie, though.”

    Audio / Keith Urban, who is performing Sunday night (June 14th) at LP Field (home of the Tennessee Titans), says he loves attending CMA Music Festival.

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    Keith Urban (CMA Music Fest) OC: …always love it. :25
    “I love it! It’s like summer camp. I mean, it is! It’s just a chance to obviously see a lot of people I don’t normally see, I don’t know. It’s just palpable. Since Fan Fair, it’s just been that sort of week-plus of energy, the whole town just explodes, and what it is we love about this genre and the community aspect of it. I always love it.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum, who are scheduled to perform at LP Field on Friday (June 12th) in front of a sold-out crowd, talk about performing on the big stage during CMA Music Fest.

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    Lady Antebellum (Music Fest) 1 OC: …over the world. :14

    “The electricity in LP Field every year for that, you can’t really beat it. It’s so much fun to be there, and to have a stadium full of the most die-hard country fans you could ever imagine, from all over the world.”

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott talks about her early Fan Fair (now CMA Music Festival) memories.

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    Lady A (Fan Fair Memory – Hillary) OC: …extra special. :23
    “I have been raised as being at the fairgrounds with no air conditioning and actually helping take photos of the fans with my mom. I would like stand and take everybody’s camera, so I was a part of it. And actually in high school, I volunteered at the City of Hope, the softball game, for a couple of years. So, I mean, born and raised in Nashville, this has been a part of my life, my whole life, so now to be a part of it as an artist is extra special.”

    Audio / Little Big Town recall their first appearance at Fan Fair (aka CMA Music Festival). The group will be making several appearances, including their performance at LP Field on Saturday (June 13th).

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    Little Big Town (CMA Music Fest) OC: (Phillip) …the best, man. 1:43
    KIMBERLY: “We played at the fairgrounds. I guess it was the last year at the fairgrounds. We had just gotten our record deal.” PHILLIP: “I remember we were just about to walk out on stage, and we had to play acoustic. I mean there was no backing band.” KIMBERLY: “We were at Mercury. They wanted us to play before Wynonna sang.” PHILLIP: “I remember, my hair was short and Wynonna walked by and tuffed my hair and was like, ‘Oh that’s cute…cute red hair boy.’ [laugh] I was like, ‘Oh great.’ Like little puppy dog, ‘You’re gonna be OK, kid.'” KIMBERLY: “We were nervous.” KAREN: “Oh my gosh, were so nervous. We were so green.” KIMBERLY: “We didn’t have many songs at that point. Maybe three songs, which is what we sang. It was all we knew at the time which is what we had worked up. Because literally we got our record deal in May, and that was June.” KAREN: “And they were like, ‘Why don’t you guys sing a couple songs?’ And, we’re like, ‘Good, because a couple is what we know.’ That was fun. And then moving form that to the stadium shows, to me that the most fun you can ever have…CMA Fest, Stadium shows. It is an energy unlike anything else. It was over the top and I could just come out of my skin at those moments. KIMBERLY: “Me too.” KAREN: “It’s like you just want to float.” PHILLIP: “And it’s like the best country crowd you could ever compile. Every country fan from all over the world wants to be there. That’s like the crux of country music awesomeness. I’m telling you it is the best fun.” KAREN: “It’s the best feeling out there.” KIMBERLY: “They let them line up and all come across the stage so you have all these people that are so giddy, crazy giddy, because they get to walk up close to the stage.” PHILLIP: “And they’re waving and their arms are about to fall off. They’re just so excited. It’s the best.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan, who performs at Nashville’s LP Field on Friday (June 12th), explains the name of his fan club.

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    Luke Bryan (fan club name) OC: …words, you know. :13
    “That’s the name of my fan club – the Nut House, because they’re nutty and my Daddy’s a peanut farmer. I figured I spent my whole life hauling around peanuts, I would name…just a play on words, you know.”

    Audio / Scotty McCreery talks about his fans.

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    Scotty McCreery (fan support) OC: …back to us. :31
    “My fans are incredible. I tell them that every night on stage, and a lot of artists say thanks to the fans and ‘you’re the reason I’m here,’ but for me, it’s literal because they voted me through (American Idol), they’ve been with me since then. They’ve helped make the album platinum, the album gold, come to my concerts. In a sense, I really owe all this to them. They’ve really kind of helped make me who I am. I enjoy the chance to go out there and make music for them. I enjoy going out there to sing a concert for them. The biggest thing for me is when I look out and see the fans and they’re smiling, having a good time. Dancing, singing the songs back to us.”

  • LUKE BRYAN’S ‘KICK THE DUST UP’ IS A ‘BIG, LIVE, FUN, KICK YOUR SHOES OFF AND DANCE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME SONG.’

    Audio
    Luke Bryan

    Luke Bryan is certainly ‘kickin’ the dust up’ on the country charts, as his new single – “Kick the Dust Up” – was released earlier this week. The song, penned by “That’s My Kind of Night” writers Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley and Chris DeStefano, is the first single from his forthcoming album, Kill the Lights, set for release August 7th.

    Luke, who’s on the road with his Kick the Dust Up Tour, says it’s perfect timing for the song’s release.

    “We’re going into summer, and…we have a lot of big ole summer amphitheater shows, stadium shows, and it just seems like a big live fun, kick your shoes off and dance and have a good time song,” says Luke. “It’s something that we feel like is real, real catchy, and it’s right in line with what my music is all about, just getting out there kickin’ up the dust.”

    The next stop on Luke’s tour is June 4th in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    Audio / Luke Bryan talks about his new single, “Kick the Dust Up,” and why it’s perfect timing for the song.

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    Luke Bryan (Kick the Dust Up) OC: …up the dust. :26
    “We’re going into summer, and it’s just a big ole, and we have a lot of big ole summer amphitheater shows, stadium shows, and it just seems like a big live fun, kick your shoes off and dance and have a good time song. It’s something that we feel like is real, real catchy, and it’s right in line with what my music is all about, just getting out there kickin’ up the dust.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (new single KTDU)

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    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (latest single KTDU)

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  • LUKE BRYAN’S COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME EXHIBIT OPENS FRIDAY.

    Audio
    Luke Bryan

    Luke Bryan’s Dirt Road Diary exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame opens on Friday (May 22nd), and the Georgia native recalls going to Hall of Fame as a fan.

    “I remember coming to town and taking my dad through, and I think Garth [Brooks] was in there doing a real neat audio/visual piece where he describes stuff, and me and my dad were sitting there watching,” says Luke. “It’s pretty cool to be in here and knowing that people will be moving to town and taking their families, and showing them my exhibit is pretty crazy.”

    The exhibit, which includes his Little League baseball uniform and glove, his first guitar and second-grade school backpack, runs through November 8th.

    Luke just released his new single, “Kick the Dust Up,” which is from his forthcoming album, Kill the Lights.

    Audio / Luke Bryan remembers going to the Country Music Hall of Fame with his dad after moving to Nashville in 2001.

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    Luke Bryan (CMHOF exhibit) 2 OC: …pretty crazy. :23
    “I remember coming to town and taking my dad through, and I think Garth [Brooks] was in there doing a real neat audio/visual piece where he describes stuff, and me and my dad were sitting there watching. It’s pretty cool to be in here and knowing that people will be moving to town and taking their families, and showing them my exhibit is pretty crazy.”

  • MEMORIAL DAY AUDIO: Dierks, Church, Keith, Kelleigh, LBT, Luke, Sam

    Dierks Bentley / Eric Church / Keith Urban / Kelleigh Bannen / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

    School is letting out for a few months; dads are firing up the bar-be-cues; pools, lakes and beaches will be packed with families celebrating warm days together. It’s the unofficial kick-off to summer…and it’s Memorial Day Weekend.

    Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. However, by the turn of the 20th century, Memorial Day celebrated Americans who have sacrificed their lives in all wars. The holiday also typically marks the start of the summer vacation season.

    Some of your favorite country artists talk about their favorite summertime activities – besides traveling around and performing for fans – as well as what it means to be free because of the brave men and women willing to fight and sacrifice for our freedom.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, whose own father was a World War II veteran, talks about the sacrifices made by U.S. servicemen and women.

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    Dierks (Memorial Day) OC: …upon them. :37
    “On the most basic level, I think, for me on the road, I just think about being gone two, three days at a time, maybe a couple of weeks at a time, you know. That seems like a long time when you have kids and family, but these soldiers, they’re gone for months and years at a time – they’re doing 12 to 15 to 18 months — and they have family back home. That, in itself, is such a huge sacrifice, and that’s just the beginning of it. That’s just scratching the surface of what these guys [and gals] are doing every day – preparing for battle, actually being in battle, being wounded in battle, sometimes dying in battle. So, this country obviously, we would not exist without those courageous men and women, and our future depends upon them.”

    Audio / Eric Church says we should celebrate our freedom AND the people fighting for our freedom.

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    Eric Church (Memorial Day) OC: …those freedoms.
    It’s about, especially the soldiers I come in contact with on the road. And not only that, to be able to make the music that I’m able to make, to say what I want to say, and that freedom to be able to do those things and to be in a country where we’re able to do that and to be in a country where we’re able to play that stuff on the radio. I don’t think you’re going to have any America argue that America isn’t the best place to live, and I’m certainly one of them. I’m very proud to be from here and very proud that we have the soldiers. I know there are a lot of other countries out there in the world that don’t want to live the way we do, and that’s fine, they can keep living the way they are, but I’m very proud of it. I think that’s a time to celebrate being proud to be an American and celebrate those freedoms…and celebrate the people that are over fighting for those freedoms.”

    Audio / Keith Urban wrote and recorded “For You” a few years ago for the film, Act of Valor, which was inspired by real life events and stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs. After hanging out with the SEALS, he was very impressed with their commitment of service.

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    Keith Urban (SEALS mantra) OC: …conviction. :30
    “They have a mantra, and they say ‘the only easy day was yesterday’ and they had this spirit of brotherhood and that’s a particular thing that’s the way in which, I think, it exists is very specific to the Seals. I mean, military in general have this very strong brotherhood code; it’s a particular kind of thing in the Seals. As was the testament, to Lt. Roark who is the lead guy in the film; when he was interviewed talked about funerals he had been to, and he says ‘there isn’t really any one of us who isn’t just a little bit jealous of the guy who’s died,’ and ok, I heard that, that’s a particular way of being that I cannot relate to. That is an unbelievable depth of commitment and conviction.”

    Audio / Kelleigh Bannen says she’s very thankful for our men and women in uniform.

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    Kelleigh Bannen (Memorial Day) OC: …our families. :10
    “I am so thankful for our men and women in uniform, and it is their sacrifice and them putting their lives on the line that allow us to be able to celebrate with our families.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild says they’re overwhelmed by the huge sacrifices that both the military and their families make in order to be free.

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    LBT (Memorial Day) OC: …whenever we can. :44
    KAREN: “It’s such a huge sacrifice what these men and women do for us, not only the ones that are serving, but the families that are left here at home. Kimberly and I met a young girl…she’s 21 years old, and she has a third baby, and her husband has served multiple times overseas. She’s raising these children at home and doing a great job and the best that she can, and he’s serving our country. He’s making a monstrous sacrifice, but so is she, and so are those children. And we just can’t take it for granted. I mean, it’s just a huge commitment that they make, and what an honor. We love to be able to sing for them and entertain them and to say thank you whenever we can.”

    Audio / While Luke Bryan’s on the road on his Kick The Dust Up Tour, he’ll most likely check out some places where he can catch up on his favorite pastime – fly-fishing.

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    Luke Bryan (favorite summer activities) OC: …the family. :10
    “My favorite summer activity is definitely the opportunity to go fly-fishing out West when I’m out there touring, or really, just fly-fishing anytime…and obviously, getting a week off down at the beach with the family.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about his grandfather who served during World War II.

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    Sam Hunt (Memorial Day) OC: …those freedoms. :40
    “My granddad was in World World II. He was on the USS Texas battleship, and he was over at Normandy and over near Japan and he spent a lot of time right in the thick of World War II. He really took pride in what that meant, and it was something I got to see it first hand, as somebody who got to experience that; somebody who had that galvanized American trait. It’s hard to describe it. It was just somebody who’s been through that, seen that and really appreciates what that means. I try to channel that into my life, because I haven’t fought in any war, but I have a ton of respect for folks who have, folks who’ve sacrificed, families who’ve lost lives and just sacrificed years of their own lives and time and effort to maintain those freedoms.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about Memorial Day weekends growing up in Georgia.

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    Sam Hunt (Memorial Day) 2 OC: …experience. :47
    “I spent a lot of Memorial Day weekends on the lake especially as I got a little order in high school and on into college, and it was always that summer inauguration celebrating the beginning of what would be summer. And even though I’m finished with school, when May comes around, I get that kind of ‘school’s out’ feeling, even now. So, when summer’s here, it’s always an exciting time of year. I think it’s just an extra reminder just the freedom in that and the good times and it’s usually with your buddies and you’re celebrating all these great things and about what it means to be a product of all the sacrifices that people have made in years past and in the wars past that we can now experience.”


    Sam Hunt (Memorial Day) 2 OC: …experience. :48
    “I spent a lot of Memorial Day weekends on the lake especially as I got a little order in high school and on into college, and it was always that summer inauguration celebrating the beginning of what would be summer. And even though I’m finished with school, when May comes around, I get that kind of ‘school’s out’ feeling, even now. So, when summer’s here, it’s always an exciting time of year. I think it’s just an extra reminder just the freedom in that and the good times and it’s usually with your buddies and you’re celebrating all these great things and about what it means to be a product of all the sacrifices that people have made in years past and in the wars past that we can now experience.”

  • LUKE BRYAN CELEBRATES EXHIBIT AT COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM.

    Audio
    Luke Bryan

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn., – May 20, 2015 – Luke Bryan and the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum celebrated the soon-to-be opened summer exhibit, Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary presented by Citi, tonight with a special event held for the music industry, friends and family of the ACM/CMA Entertainer of the Year. The exhibit opens May 22nd and runs through November 8th. For the exhibit, Bryan has loaned the museum a wealth of artifacts to represent his life and career. Highlights include:

    Little League baseball uniform and glove

    Second grade school backpack and denim jacket

    First guitar, which his parents gave him when he was fourteen

    A script from his high school production of Annie Get Your Gun, in which he starred

    Handwritten lyrics to his 2014 chart-topping single, “I See You”

    Stage props from his Spring Break concerts

    Tour posters

    Stage clothes worn by Bryan at concerts and awards shows

    Music awards, including trophies for his ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year wins

    Bow and arrows used by Bryan on the Outdoor Channel reality series Buck Commander: Protected by Under Armour.

    For more information about the exhibit including photos and video, click here. Follow @countrymusichof on Twitter and join the conversation using #ThisIsLukeBryan.

    Suggested Tweet: Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary opens May 22 @countrymusichof Step inside his story: http://bit.ly/1EGtmJ7  #ThisisLukeBryan

    Photo credit:
    Jason Davis/Getty Images for CMHOF

    Audio / Luke Bryan explains what he was most excited to do when he heard he was getting a big exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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    Luke Bryan (CMHOF exhibit) OC: …my youth. :37
    “I was excited to go seek out my old instruments and stuff. I think one thing that was amazing was that we found the very first song I wrote and performed for my church, and something had spilled on the lyrics and you can’t see half the lyrics, so I remember that day singing that song, and we were able to find that song in my piano bench. So, yeah, going and getting all of the instruments, but then when you find out it’s also a life piece. It’s named kind of ‘Dirt Road Diary’ to tell the whole story of me and my youth.”

  • MEMORIAL DAY LINERS: Billy, Brothers, Darius, Easton, Church, Paslay, Jon, Josh, Keith, Lauren, LBT, Luke, Sam

    Audio
    Billy Currington / Brothers Osborne / Darius Rucker / Easton Corbin / Eric Church / Eric Paslay / Jon Pardi / Josh Turner / Keith Urban / Lauren Alaina / Little Big Town / Luke Bryan / Sam Hunt

     

    Audio / LINER Billy Currington (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Billy Currington (Memorial Day)
    “Hey guys, I’m Billy Currington. I just wanted to say thank you to all our servicemen and women and their daily service to our country.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Brothers Osborne (Memorial Day Wkend)
    “Hey! What’s up guys? We’re Brothers Osborne, wishing you a very happy Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER Brothers Osborne (Memorial Day) 2

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    LINER Brothers Osborne (Memorial Day) 2
    “Hey! What’s up guys? We’re Brothers Osborne. We just wanted to send our thanks to all you service men and women and the ones who’ve gone before you for sacrificing time with your families, sacrificing your own needs and even sacrificing your lives so we can be free to do what we want to do. It means more than you’ll ever know. Happy Memorial Day!”

    Audio / LINER Darius Rucker (Memorial Day Weekend)

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    LINER Darius Rucker (Memorial Day Weekend)
    “Hey y’all, it’s Darius Rucker, hoping you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER Easton Corbin (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Easton Corbin (Memorial Day)
    “Hey everybody! It’s Easton Corbin here, wishing you a happy and safe Memorial Day, and I also want to send a special thanks out to our men and women in our Armed Forces.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Eric Church (Memorial Day)
    Hey everyone, this is Eric Church hoping you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

    Audio / LINER Eric Paslay (Memorial Day Weekend)

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    LINER Eric Paslay (Memorial Day Weekend)
    “Hey! This is Eric Paslay, hope you have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER Jon Pardi (Memorial Day Weekend)

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    LINER Jon Pardi (Memorial Day Weekend)
    “Hi! It’s Jon Pardi, hoping you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER: Josh Turner (Memorial Day)

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    LINER: Josh Turner (Memorial Day)
    “This is Josh Turner, wishing you a safe and Happy Memorial Day holiday.”

    Audio / LINER Keith Urban (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Keith Urban (Memorial Day)
    “Hi everyone, this is Keith Urban. Now please take time to remember all those who sacrificed their lives during this Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER Lauren Alaina (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Lauren Alaina (Memorial Day)
    “Hey! This is Lauren Alaina, wishing you a Happy Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER LBT (Memorial Day)

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    LINER LBT (Memorial Day)
    “Hi! This is Little Big Town, take time to remember our fallen heroes during this Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER Luke Bryan (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Luke Bryan (Memorial Day)
    “Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, hoping you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.”

    Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Memorial Day)

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    LINER Sam Hunt (Memorial Day)
    “Hey everybody! This is Sam Hunt, with hopes for a happy Memorial Day Weekend.”

     

  • LUKE BRYAN ANNOUNCES HIS NEW ALBUM, KILL THE LIGHTS, ON THE ELLEN DeGENERES SHOW.

    Press
    Luke Bryan

    Luke Kill the Lights

    NASHVILLE, TN – (May 19, 2015)  – Reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today and announced the news his next album, KILL THE LIGHTS, is set for release on Friday, August 7th.  Luke also performed the first single from the album, “Kick The Dust Up,” which debuted at country radio today and is available now at digital retailers. Tonight he will perform the single on the season finale of The Voice.

    “We’ve been performing the new song on tour this spring, using it to open the shows,” shares Luke. “We love the crowd reaction to it and I cannot wait to be able to share more new music this summer.  It’s been two years since we’ve had a new album and I don’t think I’ve been this eager yet to get it out to the fans.”

    Luke will perform on Good Morning America on album release day, August 7th, as part of their 2015 Summer Concert Series at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, home of the SummerStage.

    The eagerly anticipated KILL THE LIGHTS album is the follow up to Luke’s most successful project to date, CRASH MY PARTY, which contains six consecutive No. 1 singles, is certified Double Platinum and has currently sold over two million copies with eight million digital downloads.

    Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Luke Bryan has placed 12 singles at No. 1 and sold nearly seven million albums with 27 million digital tracks from his four studio albums.  He has been named Entertainer of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music (twice) and the Country Music Association.  In 2014, Luke achieved the best touring year of his career with 1.7 million fans attending his concerts.  In early 2015, Luke played his first-ever shows in Europe and this Friday, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will launch a summer exhibit, “Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary.”

    Luke’s new concert tour, “Kick The Dust Up Tour,” will continue through October and includes seven stadium dates.

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

    Video / Kick the Dust Up

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    Video / Luke Bryan on Ellen DeGeneres Show history trivia