Luke Bryan, Randy Houser and More Help Peach Pickers Celebrate Georgia Music

Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins and a seemingly endless line of friends helped celebrate Georgia music at the Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday night (May 12). The second-annual Georgia on My Mind concert raised money for the Georgia Music Foundation, while giving fans a chance to see a uniquely star-studded cast sing and horse around.

The Peach Pickers played hosts, but played plenty. After the four members of 4-Wheel Drive sang a song apiece, Davidson, Hayslip and Akins took the stage and began singing hits. "That's the Only Way I Know," "Take a Back Road," "That's My Kinda Night" and "Honey Bee" are a few of their songs that took a turn on the Ryman stage. Davidson's version of the Luke Bryan hit is quite a bit different than the one fans have heard on the radio, but his enthusiasm was as high. At times the show felt like a way for each to get a taste of what stars like Aldean feel on stage every night, and the crowd was fine with it.

Craig Campbell sang before Lauren Alaina played a new song called "My Kinda People." Randy Houser provided the first show stopper. His acoustic version of "Like a Cowboy" brought the crowd to its feet —twice!

Before the show a few of the artists did their best to define the Georgia sound. “To me, Georgia music has a little bit of soul, and a lot of twang,” Alaina told Taste of Country.

“When I listen to the radio … I can almost pinpoint who is from Georgia and who ain’t,” Campbell says, echoing what Davidson told Taste of Country last week. "The way we say our 'Rs' … it’s got a little bit of an 'I' sound."

Hayslip talked about being influenced by James Brown, Elvis and Dolly Parton in addition to non-country acts like Run D.M.C. Proceeds benefitted the preservation of Georgian music, as well as educational efforts in the state. With a full house, the concert was sure to top last year's $40,000 raised.

Top Country Songs for May 2015