The “Gretsch Presents the Fifth Annual Georgia On My Mind” benefit concert is a celebration of the Peach State’s musical mavericks and influence on today’s chart-topping hits hosted by the Peach Pickers: Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Ben Hayslip.
The Peach Pickers hand-pick a star-studded group of friends to celebrate the music of their home state with proceeds benefiting the Georgia Music Foundation. Performers this year include Lauren Alaina, Travis Denning, Chris Janson, Michael Ray, songwriters Pat Alger and Tony Arata many more.
The event returns to the historic Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday, June 26. Tickets are available now for $54.50 and $44.50 via Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, ryman.com,or by calling (800) 745-3000.
“For Ben, Rhett and I, it’s almost like organizing a bonfire party in South Georgia every year. We call our friends, they call their friends and we all get together, play the songs we love and tell stories,” said Davidson, who chairs the Georgia Music Foundation. “The fact that the last four concerts have allowed us to donate nearly $300,000 to the Georgia Music Foundation and support music education programs all over our home state is icing on the cake.”
Tickets often sell out prior to the concert and surprise guests join the fun each year. Over the past four years, friends joining the Peach Pickers on stage have included Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Big Boi of Outkast, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Kip Moore, T. Graham Brown, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Craig Campbell, Tyler Farr, Otis Redding III, Dexter Redding, Billy Currington, Drivin’ N Cryin’, Brent Cobb, Trea Landon, Jon Langston, Cole Taylor, and many more.
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famers Pat Alger and Tony Arata will be on hand to perform and receive the Georgia Music Foundation Flamekeeper Award given since 2014 to individuals whose tireless work preserves and promotes Georgia’s musical roots and traditions. Past recipients include Jason Aldean; Deanna Brown-Thomas, daughter of James Brown; Karla Redding-Andrews, Dexter Redding and Otis Redding III, children of Otis Redding; and Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.
This year, the Peach Pickers welcome Gretsch, the fourth-generation musical instruments company headquartered in Pooler, GA, as a presenting sponsor. Fred Gretsch, President of The Gretsch Company, said, “As we celebrate our 135th anniversary as a family business run by Dinah Gretsch and me, we are honored to support the Peach Pickers and present ‘Georgia On My Mind.’ The Gretsch family’s goal is enriching lives through participation in music and we’ve seen how proceeds from previous years’ concerts have impacted music education programs around the state of Georgia.”
The Georgia Music Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1994, has distributed nearly $300,000 in grants to deserving music education, preservation and outreach programs since the first “Georgia On My Mind” concert was held in 2014. Proceeds from the 2017 concert benefitted 17 schools and non-profit organizations. Among the recipients were Nuçi’s Space in Athens for its annual Camp Amped summer camp; the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House in Macon for its 2018 outreach programs; and the Georgia School for Innovation and the Classics in Hephzibah for the purchase of Orff instruments.
Info on the grant program is available at www.georgiamusicfoundation.org.
About the Peach Pickers: All Georgia natives, the Peach Pickers have accumulated more than 70 No. 1 songs collectively and individually since 2010 and earned numerous awards and accolades. Their respective catalogs include hit songs “I Don’t Want
This Night To End,” “All About Tonight,” “Gimmie That Girl,” “Just A Kiss,” “When She Says Baby,” “Boys Round Here,” “It Goes Like This,” “We Owned The Night,” “I Don’t Dance,” “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” “Point At You,” “That’s My Kind Of Night,” “Rain Is A Good Thing,” “Small Town Throwdown,” “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” “Star of the Show,” and many more.
Platinum sponsor Georgia Tourism is proud to feature native Jason Aldean on the cover of the 2018 Georgia Travel Guide. Free copies are available at www.exploregeorgia.org.
