NASHVILLE, Tenn., January 21, 2015 – Opening May 2015, and running through November 2015, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s newly announced exhibition on Luke Bryanwill spotlight the country star’s meteoric career arc, from his roots in south Georgia, growing up the son of a peanut farmer, to his poignant, leap-of-faith move to Nashville, where he initially saw success as a hit songwriter for other artists before becoming one of the new century’s country superstars. The announcement was made at a press conference in the museum’s Ford Theater; Bryan also revealed plans for his 2015 summer tour and a new music release. #ThisIsLukeBryan

“This contemporary exhibit series plugs straight into our mission to tell the ongoing history of country music. From spring to fall, as our numbers swell with school groups, families and younger fans, we’ve included in our educational mix a series of feature exhibits focused on the careers of today’s most interesting superstars,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “As with our past summer exhibitions—featuring Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert—we know fans are going to enjoy this examination of Luke’s career. While they are here, they can learn more about the artists who influenced Luke, like Alabama, Alan Jackson, Ronnie Milsap and George Strait.”

The pride of Leesburg, Georgia, Luke Bryan has scored multiple #1 hits and sold nearly seven million albums and 27 million digital tracks over four studio albums. He released his first album in 2007, and already has been named Entertainer of the Year for both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Bryan’s latest album, Crash My Party, was 2013’s best-selling country album. It is certified double platinum for sales of two million copies, and has sold eight million digital downloads. Crash My Party won the 2013 Billboard Music Award for “Top Country Album” and generated five chart-topping singles: “That’s My Kind of Night,” “Crash My Party,” “Drink a Beer,” Play It Again” and “Roller Coaster.”  Bryan became the first artist to hold #1 and #2 spots on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart—the chart debuted in 1990—with “Play It Again” at #1 and his collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, “This Is How We Roll,” at #2.

Bryan achieved the best touring year of his career in 2014, when 1.7 million fans attended his concerts.  Highlights from his “That’s My Kind of Night Tour” included mounting four sold-out stadium shows attended by a combined 225,000 people; setting an all-time country record for tickets sold at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and at Soldier Field in Chicago; selling out two shows in New York City’s Madison Square Garden and becoming the first country artist to play Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.  The tour also had sold-out double plays in eleven cities and broke numerous venue attendance records along the way.

Bryan is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and he will co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton for a third consecutive year on April 19, 2015.

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture.  With the same educational mission, the foundation also operates CMF Records, the museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print®.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.