Published: July 02, 2009 07:46 pm      

Luke Bryan performing at Allegany County Fair

Georgia native was among Billboard’s new faces to watch

CUMBERLAND — Georgia native Luke Bryan will perform at the Allegany County Fair and Ag Expo on July 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased online at alleganycofair.org.

Bryan’s new single “Do I” is off his second Capitol Records Nashville album “Doin’ My Thing,” which is set to be released in early October.

Even before Capitol Records Nashville released his debut single, “All My Friends Say,” to radio in early 2007, Bryan was already earning significant media attention, including being named one of Billboard magazine’s new faces to watch in 2007. He was the only country music performer selected for the honor.

Bryan was also included in Country Weekly’s “Who’s Hot in 2007” feature and the single was chosen as an iTunes “Discovery Download” of the week. He made his debut on the world famous Grand Ole Opry early last year which Luke says was “truly a dream come true.”

Described as a talented triple threat vocalist, songwriter and musician Bryan, who moved to Nashville in 2001, quickly landed a publishing deal with top independent publisher Murrah Music. There, Bryan found his voice as a writer by sticking close to the life experiences he knows best, as evidenced on such album cuts as “Country Man” and his signature song, “We Rode In Trucks,” a favorite among his Georgia fans.

He not only wrote songs for himself but he also had songs cut by other artists like fellow Georgian Travis Tritt and he wrote the 3 week #1 song “Good Directions” for Billy Currington.

“I’ll Stay Me” — Bryan’s debut album released last summer — has been called “a fresh and contemporary-sounding album that’s just country enough to represent Bryan’s rural Georgia upbringing, but rocking enough to reflect the years he spent honing his live chops at bars and fraternity houses in his home state, where he is already a bona fide star.”

Bryan has opened shows for country superstars Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland and label-mate Dierks Bentley to name a few. “I don’t consider one thing I’ve done since I’ve been in Nashville work,” he said.

“I still get shocked all the time when I meet random people and they say ‘You’re Luke Bryan.’ That’s still pretty neat,” the singer said of his home state fan base.