Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan
Bryan in July 2010
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Luther Bryan[1]
Born	(1976-07-17) July 17, 1976 (age 48)[2] Leesburg, Georgia, U.S.[3]
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Capitol Nashville
Website	www.lukebryan.com

Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American pop country singer. Bryan began his musical career in the mid-2000s, writing songs for Travis Tritt and Billy Currington. After signing with Capitol Records in Nashville, Tennessee in 2007 with his cousin, Chad Christopher Boyd, he released the album I'll Stay Me, which included the singles "All My Friends Say", "We Rode in Trucks" and "Country Man". The follow-up album Doin' My Thing included "Do I", which Bryan co-wrote with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum, and the number one singles "Rain Is a Good Thing" and "Someone Else Calling You Baby". Tailgates & Tanlines, released in 2011, includes "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)", and the number one singles "I Don't Want This Night to End", "Drunk on You", and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye". Bryan's fourth album, Crash My Party, was released in August 2013 and includes the number one singles "Crash My Party" and "That's My Kind of Night". Bryan co-wrote all of his singles with the exception of "Drunk on You", "Crash My Party" and "That's My Kind of Night" and co-produced all four albums and one compilation album with Jeff Stevens. Bryan was the recipient of the Academy of Country Music Awards' Entertainer of the Year award.^[4]

Soon after his arrival in Nashville, Bryan joined a publishing house in the city. Among his first cuts was the title track of Travis Tritt's 2004 album My Honky Tonk History.^[5] He was later signed by Capitol Records to a recording contract. In the meantime, Bryan co-wrote Billy Currington's single "Good Directions", which went to number 1 on the Hot Country Songs charts in mid-2007.^[6] Bryan co-wrote his debut single, "All My Friends Say", with producer Jeff Stevens. This song reached a peak of number 5 on Hot Country Songs. In August 2007, Capitol released Bryan's debut album, I'll Stay Me.^[7] Bryan wrote or co-wrote all but one of its 11 songs. The album's second single, "We Rode in Trucks", peaked at number 33 while "Country Man" reached number 10.^[8]

On March 10, 2009, he released an EP titled Spring Break With All My Friends that featured two new songs, "Sorority Girls" and "Take My Drunk Ass Home," plus an acoustic version of "All My Friends Say."^[9] After this EP, he released his fourth single, "Do I". Bryan wrote the song with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum, whose lead singer Hillary Scott also sings backing vocals on it.^[10] The song reached number two on the country songs chart.

"Do I" was included on Bryan's second album, Doin' My Thing, which was released in October 2009. Also included on the album was a cover of OneRepublic's "Apologize".^[11] Bryan wrote the album's next two singles, "Rain Is a Good Thing" and "Someone Else Calling You Baby", with Dallas Davidson and Jeff Stevens, respectively. Both of these songs went to number 1 on the country music charts. Allmusic gave this album a positive review as well, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine considering Bryan more "relaxed" in comparison to his debut. On February 26, 2010, Bryan released a second EP, titled Spring Break 2...Hangover Edition, which featured three new songs: "Wild Weekend", "Cold Beer Drinker", and "I'm Hungover". ^{[citation needed]}

Bryan appeared on the April 18, 2010, episode of Celebrity Apprentice alongside fellow country star Emily West. The task for each team was to make-over an up-and-coming country star, with Bryan being selected by team Rocksolid, led by Bill Goldberg, and West being selected by team Tenacity, led by Cyndi Lauper. Bryan's make-over failed to impress the judges, leading to team Rocksolid losing the task. Bryan's new single, Rain Is a Good Thing, and West's single "Blue Sky", were both sold on iTunes with a months worth of sales being donated to Lauper's charity, the Stonewall Community Foundation, resulting in $25,000 being raised.

Bryan released his third EP, Spring Break 3...It's a Shore Thing, on February 25, 2011, featuring four new songs—"In Love With the Girl," "If You Ain't Here to Party," "Shore Thing," and "Love In a College Town." This release was followed by Bryan's seventh single, "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)", which was released on March 14, 2011.^[12] Also co-written by Bryan and Davidson,^[13]it served as the lead-off single to his third studio album, Tailgates & Tanlines, which was released August 9, 2011. The album peaked at number one on the Top Country Albums and number two on the Billboard 200. "Country Girl" peaked at number 4 on the country charts and number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's next three singles—"I Don't Want This Night to End", "Drunk On You", and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" — all reached number one on the country charts. Bryan, along with Eric Church, sang guest vocals on Jason Aldean's "The Only Way I Know," the second single from his 2012 album, Night Train. ^{[citation needed]}

On March 6, 2012, Bryan released his fourth Spring Break EP entitled Spring Break 4 ... Suntan City. Along with the title track, which Bryan co-wrote with Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip, the EP includes "Spring Break-Up", "Little Bit Later On", and "Shake the Sand".^[14] On January 30, 2013, Bryan announced his first compilation album, Spring Break…Here to Party, which includes fourteen songs — twelve from his previous Spring Break EPs and two new tracks. It was released on March 5.^[15] The album debuted at number 1 on both the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and the Billboard 200, becoming the first album of his career to top the all-genre album chart. One of the new Spring Break songs, "Buzzkill", reached the Top 20 on the Hot Country chart.

Bryan's fourth studio album, Crash My Party, was released on August 13, 2013.^[16] The album's first single, "Crash My Party", was premiered in a performance at the 2013 ACM Awards and released on April 7, 2013.^[17] It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in July 2013. The album's second single, "That's My Kind of Night", was released to country radio on August 5, 2013. It reached Number One on the Hot Country Songs in August 2013 and peaked at 2 on the Country Airplay chart in October 2013. The album's third single, "Drink a Beer", was released to country radio on October 24, 2013. It reached Number One on the Hot Country Songs chart in January 2014 and Number One on the Country Airplay chart in February 2014. During the kickoff show for his 2014 That's My Kinda Night Tour in Columbus, OH, Bryan announced to the crowd that "Play It Again" would be the album's fourth single.^[18] At the same time, Bryan sang guest vocals on Florida Georgia Line's 2014 single "This Is How We Roll".

On March 11, 2014, Bryan began his sixth year of hi Spring Break performances at Spinnaker Beach Club in Panama City Beach, Florida. also He released his sixth spring break EP, Spring Break 6...Like We Ain't Ever.^[19]

Luke's immediate family consisted of his father, Tommy (a peanut farmer), his mother, LeClaire, his older brother, Chris (now deceased), and his older sister, Kelly Cheshire (now deceased). Shortly before Luke was going to move to Nashville at age 19, tragedy struck his family. "My older brother, Chris, was unexpectedly killed in a ... car accident ... I'm kind of hyperventilating talking about it. ... You never truly ... move beyond it."^[20] He finally made it to Nashville years later ^[when?] after his dad told him to pack his truck to pursue a career in music. He finally gained success as a songwriter, but soon after signed as a performer; his first big hit was "All My Friends Say". When Luke was invited to perform at the famous Grand Ole Opry, his older sister, Kelly, organized 129 people, practically their entire hometown, to attend his Opry debut. A few days after his performance, his sister died at home. ^{[clarification needed]} Bryan said the cause remains undetermined. "My only older siblings ... gone from the world, in a flash in two, two different, crazy, tragic manners, that ... we'll never know, and never understand."^[20]

Bryan is currently married to his college sweetheart and Haley Boyer, whom he wed on December 8, 2006.^[21] He met her at Georgia Southern University and says it was truly love at first sight. The couple has two sons.^[22]

Albums

• 2007: I'll Stay Me
• 2009: Doin' My Thing
• 2011: Tailgates & Tanlines
• 2013: Crash My Party

• Official website

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