Luke Bryan, Mark Wills to Perform at Georgia Governor Inaugural Event

Georgia native Luke Bryan is scheduled to perform at Georgia Governor-elect Nathan Deal's invite-only inaugural celebration at Atlanta's Phillips Arena January 10. Fellow Georgian Mark Wills and the Kinchafoonee Cowboys will serve as the entertainment following the statewide Day of Service January 8. Those who sign up here to volunteer will receive a free ticket to the Atlanta concert.

"We are so pleased to have Georgia's own Luke Bryan performing at the Inaugural Celebration," Inaugural Committee co-chair Tricia Pridemore told the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper. "Luke is a rising star in country music and is making Georgia proud."

And Luke is proud of his roots, where he was raised a 'Country Man,' a dream he has for his two sons: Bo and Tate. "We're buying some property outside of town, and it'll [be the place] where my boys can become country boys," Luke told The Boot. "It's about an hour out of town. [My wife] Caroline doesn't want to be that far out, so I love where we've got our house now. It's a neighborhood. Bo can ride his bike and play with the kids next door. But then we've got this land we're buying. It can totally be where the four-wheelers are and the tree houses built and the squirrels are hunted down with BB guns. Sorry, but it's going to happen. [laughs] I'm excited about that, and the fact that I've got two boys doing it is going to be even cooler."

For Mark, the inauguration performance comes just as the singer is getting back to his normal routine. He was rushed to the hospital in October with what he calls "toxins that had been spewing" inside of him and poisoning his system.

"I'm grateful to be alive," Mark told The Boot. "It's really been a kick in the butt. I felt invincible, and we all feel invincible. I don't think there's anyone out there that's been 37 years old that hasn't had a health issue that doesn't feel invincible. We know that we're not going to live forever, but at the same time, if nothing's ever happened to you, [you're thinking] 'I'm good! Nothing's going to happen to me.'"

Mark just finished up a three day run at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., December 10 - 12, along with the 60-piece United States Army Orchestra and Concert Band. Mark's performance was filmed for Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) and was the basis of a Christmas special designed to offer our country's heroes a little piece of holiday cheer while separated from their loved ones.

For more details on Nathan Deal's inauguration activities, check here.

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