Watch Luke Bryan Sing ‘Here’s to the Farmer’ at TN Gov. Bill Lee’s Inaugural Ball
Luke Bryan was on hand for the State of Tennessee's inaugural ball on Saturday night (Jan. 19). The country star helped usher Gov. Bill Lee into office -- by surprise -- with his song "Here's to the Farmer," during which Lee and his wife Maria shared their first dance as the state's first couple.
"What an honor to be here. To be a kid from Georgia and ... to have quite a few years in the great state of Tennessee under my belt ... It's such an amazing, beautiful place to call home now," Bryan shared from stage. The country star joked that he wouldn't be playing his uptempo hit "Rain Is a Good Thing," instead selecting "Here's to the Farmer" as a nod to Lee's agricultural roots. The Republican governor's family owns Triple L Ranch, a family farm in Middle Tennessee that was founded by Lee's grandparents.
"When I heard of Governor Lee’s background in agriculture, farming and cattle, we sent some songs for them to listen to, and I was so happy they chose this one," Bryan said. "This was a song that means a lot to me and my family because we grew up in an agricultural background ..."
"Here's to the Farmer is the title track of Bryan's 2016 Farm Tour EP. Bryan himself comes from a family of farmers as well: The country star's parents own a peanut farm in his hometown of Leesburg, Ga.