Luke Bryan Performs For Strait

Imagine performing for your hero.  Luke Bryan has that experience a couple months ago.  The occasion was the annual BMI Awards in Nashville.  It’s one of the industry-only events that take place in the days before the CMA Awards.  The honoree was songwriter Dean Dillon, who wrote dozens of hits for George Strait, including the first one: “Unwound.”  Luke was asked to sing that song at the awards dinner.  He spoke about that night with Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton:

(Lon) Take us back to what you were thinking and feeling. (Luke) “Obviously I was very nervous about performing in front of Dean Dillon and George Strait, the iconic songwriter, and the most iconic artist.  I’m up there playing ‘Unwound’ with the BMI band.  Kenny Chesney went first, and then I was next.  But I had prepared to say something to George & Dean, because it was probably my only opportunity to talk to Dean & George.  So the band launches into ‘Unwound,’ and right before we ended, I stopped the song so I could say how meaningful those two were to shaping my career and my love for country music.  I always followed and did everything I could to copy George Strait and Dean Dillon.  It was an honor to be in there and have them look at me.  When Dean gave his speech, he talked about blazing your own trails, and when he said about letting the young guys sing to their audience, he kind of looked my way.  And that was really profound.  I think as long as music is alive, people will always move the needles in ways some people will like or not like.  If my fans love what I’m singing, I’ll be the first to know.  So it was cool to have Dean say that to me.  I’ve been in Nashville for ten years now, and there are young kids moving to town right now with a different take, a different approach, and a different style of music.  That’s what guys who’ve lasted for years have done.  They wrote some of their stuff, but they also found songs by other people.”

Luke Bryan and George Strait are in the Entertainer of the Year category at this year’s ACM Awards. The winner will be announced on Sunday April 6th on CBS-TV.

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Category: CO-HOST, Photos