Luke Bryan

Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country singer, songwriter, and television personality.

Instead, Luke went to college at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, where he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity, briefly dated his future wife Caroline, and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Luke reconnected with Caroline several years later when he was performing at a bar in Statesboro when she was in town, later resuming their relationship and eventually marrying.

Two years after graduating from college, Bryan finally made it to Nashville, when his father urged him to pack his truck to pursue a career in music.

He initially gained success as a songwriter, but soon after signed as a performer; his first major success was "All My Friends Say".

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.

He was later signed by Capitol Nashville to a recording contract.

His first ten albums – I'll Stay Me (2007), Doin' My Thing (2009), Tailgates & Tanlines (2011), Crash My Party (2013), Spring Break...Here to Party (2013), Spring Break...Checkin' Out (2015), Kill the Lights (2015), Farm Tour... Here's to the Farmer (2016), What Makes You Country (2017), and Born Here Live Here Die Here (2020) – have included 30 number-one hits.

Bryan often co-writes with Jeff Stevens.

In the meantime, Bryan co-wrote Billy Currington's single "Good Directions", which went to number one on the Hot Country Songs chart in mid-2007.

Bryan co-wrote his debut single, "All My Friends Say", with producer Jeff Stevens.

This song reached a peak of number 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

In August 2007, Capitol Nashville released Bryan's debut album, I'll Stay Me.

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.

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".

After this EP, he released his fourth single, "Do I" in May 2009.

Bryan wrote the song with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady A, whose lead singer Hillary Scott also sings backing vocals on it.

The song reached number 2 on the Hot 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".

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 one 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".

While Bryan is mainly known as a country music singer, he has explored other genres like alternative rock with his cover of "Apologize".

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 makeover failed to impress the judges, leading to Rocksolid losing the task.

Bryan's single "Rain Is a Good Thing" and West's single "Blue Sky" were both sold on iTunes, with a month's 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".

Since 2018, Bryan has been a judge on American Idol.

Bryan is a five-time "Entertainer of the Year", being awarded by both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association.

In 2019, Bryan's 2013 album Crash My Party received the first Album of the Decade award from the Academy of Country Music.

He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 75 million records sold.

Luke Bryan was born in Leesburg, Georgia, to LeClaire and Tommy Bryan, who owned a peanut farm.

Shortly before Luke was going to move to Nashville at age 19, his elder brother Chris was unexpectedly killed in a car accident.

His mother, LeClaire, had made a statement: "We knew Luke at some point would come to Nashville," his mother said.

"But ... you can't leave your family, and ... I couldn't bear the thought of him being away."