Fifth Annual Georgia On My Mind Concert To Feature Lauren Alaina, Chris Janson

The fifth annual Georgia On My Mind concert, hosted by hit songwriters and Georgia natives Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip (also known as The Peach Pickers), is set to return on June 26 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

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.

“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.”

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famers Alger and 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.

This year, the Peach Pickers welcome Gretsch, the fourth-generation musical instruments company headquartered in Pooler, Georgia, as a presenting sponsor. Fred Gretsch, President of The Gretsch Company, noted, “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.

Tickets are available now for $54.50 and $44.50 via Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, ryman.com,or by calling (800) 745-3000.