08/28/2013

GRAND OLE OPRY PERFORMANCE BY LUKE BRYAN TO BE SHOWCASED ON MDA LABOR DAY TELETHON

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - (August 28, 2013) � The Grand Ole Opry is set to be showcased this weekend when the MDA Labor Day telethon re-airs an Opry performance by hit-maker Luke Bryan Sun., Sept. 1, at 9/8 Central on ABC.

Bryan sings one of his early hits as part of the telethon, which in the past has featured Opry performances by Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, and Darius Rucker, among others.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world�s leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to finding treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement. Visit mda.org and follow us at facebook.com/MDAnational and @MDAnews.

About Luke Bryan

Bryan recently debuted his Crash My Party album at #1 on both the Billboard 200 and Country sales chart, selling 528,000 copies in its first week, making it the largest sales debut for a Country male artist since 2004.  It is also the third highest album to debut across all genres this year. Additionally, Luke is one of only two country artists � the other being Taylor Swift � that have sold more than a half-million copies of an album in a single week since 2008. This is Bryan�s second consecutive Top 200 #1 album. 

Luke�s career now boasts over four million in album sales with seven #1 singles.  He is the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year.  Luke was named the #1 Artist of 2012 and #1 Male Artist of 2012 by Country Aircheck.  Billboard named tailgates & tanlines the #2 Country Album and the #3 Country Artist Album of 2012 and claimed Luke as the #3 Top Country Artist of the Year.  Also in 2012, Luke took home 11 music awards, including a record nine wins at the American Country Awards as well as his first American Music Award.  This spring, Luke co-hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton and received the coveted Entertainer of the Year award as well as the Vocal Event award with Jason Aldean and Eric Church for �The Only Way I Know.�  At the CMT Music Awards in June, Luke won for Collaborative Video of the Year for �The Only Way I Know.�

About the Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry� is presented by Humana�.  Opry performances are held every weekend of the year and on Tuesdays through Dec. 10.  To plan an Opry visit, call (800) SEE-OPRY or visit opry.com. The Opry presents the best in country music live every week from Nashville, Tenn.  Celebrating 87 years of entertainment, the Opry can be heard on 650 WSM-AM, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio, and opry.com. The syndicated weekly program, America�s Opry Weekend, airs on country radio stations across America. The Grand Ole Opry is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP).  For more information, visit opry.com.