Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Luke Bryan performs the hit “I Don’t Want This Night To End” in Orlando, Florida just moments after he’s been notified that it is the No. 1 song in America.

During a break from rehearsing for the 2012 Country & Cold Cans Tour, Dierks Bentley‘s band held the First Annual “Feel That Fire Hot Wing Eating Competition.” Take a look at DBTV, Episode 51 to see who came out on top.

Luke Bryan scores his fourth No. 1 hit with his latest smash, “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” topping both the Mediabase/Country Aircheck and Billboard country singles charts this week. At first, he was a bit nervous about releasing the song as the second single from his tailgates & tanlines album, but knows it was the right decision. ” I think it’s a privilege to have a label you can trust…I mean, I think ‘Country Girl’ put me in a different level of being on the map, but for all intensive purposes, ‘I Don’t Want This Night to End’ has been a bigger song than ‘Country Girl,’ which is hard for me to imagine and is so exciting,” says Luke. “I’ve really always dreamed of being in this spot, and it’s real cool being here. You can dream it up, but sometimes it doesn’t happen that way, so I’m just really fortunate that it’s coming together that way.”

Luke is currently on the road with Jason Aldean‘s My Kinda Party 2012 Tour. The next stop on the trek is February 2nd in Oklahoma City.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan talks about how his latest single, “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” has taken him to a new level.

Luke Bryan (Night success) OC: …that way. :50

“Cindy Mabe, my head of marketing [at Capitol Nashville], she was like screaming for ‘I Don’t Want This Night to End,’ and I was terrified to death of it. I mean, I can say that now, I mean, I just said, ‘Alright, if you feel this strong about it, we’ll go with it.’ I think it’s a privilege to have a label you can trust…I mean, I think ‘Country Girl’ put me in a different level of being on the map, but for all intensive purposes, ‘I Don’t Want This Night to End’ has been a bigger song than ‘Country Girl,’ which is hard for me to imagine and is so exciting. I mean, I look at the way it went down with Jason Aldean when he did ‘She’s Country,’ and then, Bam! Then ‘Big Green Tractor’ where he just kept outdoing himself. I’ve really always dreamed of being in this spot, and it’s real cool being here. You can dream it up, but sometimes it doesn’t happen that way, so I’m just really fortunate that it’s coming together that way.”

Alan Jackson has put the finishing touches on his new album, which his fans have been anxiously anticipating. The superstar takes into account what real people are going through and what he enjoys as a fan, as well, when he’s putting together the songs for his albums. “I’ve always just tried to remember what it’s like to be a fan and try to figure out songs that they might like more than songs that would be nominated for a Grammy or something,” says Alan. “I think that’s probably what might help your career last a little bit longer is just making music for the real people.” Alan is beginning to hit the airwaves with “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore,” and has already hit the video channels with the song’s video, which was shot at Coney Island in New York.

AJ (key to success) OC: …real people. :32

“When we go in and make a record, it’s really no different than it was 20 years ago, you know, same attention to it. And when we’re looking for material and [we use] the same type of production and Keith’s always produced everything – Keith Stegall. I don’t know. I’ve always just tried to remember what it’s like to be a fan and try to figure out songs that they might like more than songs that would be nominated for a Grammy or something. I think that’s probably what might help your career last a little bit longer is just making music for the real people.”

Free Open-to-the-Public Concerts for Fans To Take Place for the 6^th Consecutive Year Are The Most-Attended Events on Fremont Street Experience

Encino, CA (January 20, 2012) – The Academy of Country Music and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced today that country music superstars Luke Bryan and Eric Church will be the headlining performers for ACM Weekend on Fremont Street Experience, to be held on consecutive nights, March 30-31, 2012  in Las Vegas.  Bryan will headline on Friday night, March 30^th and Church will headline on Saturday, March 31st.

These concerts take place in conjunction with The Week Vegas Goes Country®, the week of the 47^th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, honoring country music’s top talent and the industry’s hottest emerging talent, to be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

For the sixth year in a row, the Academy of Country Music presents free and open-to-the-public concerts starting at 6:30pm on two stages in downtown Las Vegas at Fremont Street Experience.  The weekend-long party leading up to the 47^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards is sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and features headlining performers and emerging artists. Specific show times, additional performers and stage locations are to be announced soon.

Coming off the most successful year of his career, Capitol Records Nashville’s Luke Bryan shows no signs of slowing down.  One of the fastest rising stars in country music, Bryan is celebrating airplay chart success with his current hit single, “I Don’t Want This Night To End” off his Gold-certified third studio album, tailgates & tanlines.  With his Platinum-selling smash hit, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” Bryan continues to prove why he’s Nashville’s artist to watch.  You can catch Bryan on the road as he joins Jason Aldean on the 2012 leg of his My Kinda Party Tour.  Check out Luke online at www.lukebryan.com.

EMI Records Nashville artist Eric Church is one of the brightest and boldest stars to emerge in country music in years.  With his third album, CHIEF, topping both the Country and Top 200 Billboard charts in 2011, Church is anything but formulaic.  He continues to make his mark out on the road with his raucous live shows played for sold out crowds across the country.  Showcasing his hits like the No. 1 “Drink In My Hand” and Top 20’s “Homeboy” and “Smoke A Little Smoke,” fans can catch Church in 2012 on his arena headlining The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour.  Keep up with Eric online at www.ericchurch.com.

Eric Church launches his first arena headlining tour on Thursday (January 19th), and he’s looking forward to seeing familiar faces when he hits the stage each night. “I can remember playing ‘em when there were 50 people there, and to step into these arenas and have these many people, it’s directly responsible for those first 50, and I hope they’re up front,” says the Grammy nominee. “You know, we’ve done everything we can to have them there, and it’s gonna be neat to see their faces and think about where we’ve came from every night.”

The much-anticipated Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour will also feature newcomer Brantley Gilbert, who appeared on Eric’s radar a few years ago. “I was getting all these calls from bar and club owners in the Southeast where we had set quite a few attendance records, and told me this kid was down there breaking my records,” recalls Eric. “I remember I wrote his name down and pushed it to the side, and made sure that if my day ever came…he’d be at the top of the list for a tour.”

For more information and tour dates, go to ericchurch.com.

• What a week it’s been for Eric, who is experiencing a lot of firsts this week, including his first arena headlining tour AND his first No. 1 single with “Drink in My Hand.”

Eric Church (Blood, Sweat & Beers) OC: …went down. :34

“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen some of these places, so I know what I’m gonna be feeling inside and I hope it explodes out there. That’s what I’m gonna be doing when I stand up on that stage. It’s been a long time coming for us to be here. And I can remember playing ‘em when there were 50 people there and to step into these arenas and have these many people, it’s directly responsible for those first 50, and I hope they’re up front. You know, we’ve done everything we can to have them there, and it’s gonna be neat to see their faces and think about where we’ve came from every night. And it’s gonna be fun and gratifying to go out there and think about all the hard work and think about all the paths we’ve went down.”

Eric Church (Brantley Gilbert) OC: …kick-ass tour. :26

“I choose Brantley, because actually he got on my radar a couple of years ago. I was getting all these calls from bar and club owners in the Southeast where we had set quite a few attendance records, and told me this kid was down there breaking my records. And I remember I wrote his name down and pushed it to the side, and made sure that if my day ever came, I was definitely gonna, he’d be at the top of the list for a tour. So, when it was time for us to do the headline tour, he was the first person I thought about, and I’m glad he’s joining us. I think it’s gonna be a pretty kick-ass tour.”

Butch Allen, the production designer for Eric Church‘s new Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour, has previously worked on tours for Van Halen, Def Leppard and Ozzy Osbourne. The trek, which also features Brantley Gilbert, kicks off Thursday (January 19th) in Fort Smith,Arkansas.

Newcomer Eric Paslay makes his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday (January 20th). He’s expected to perform “Deep As It Is Wide” and “If The Fish Don’t Bite,” both of which will appear on his upcoming debut album.

In the latest episode of Lady Antebellum’s Webisode Wednesdays, take a look back at the best of their Lady Haze videos and stay tuned for a new one coming soon!

Lady Antebellum‘s Own the Night once again tops the Billboard Country Album chart.  Luke Bryan‘s tailgates & tanlines follows at No. 2.