Chris Young is lending his name to a new performance venue at his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The newly-christened Chris Young Café will serve as a teaching and practicing facility for student musicians during the day, as well hosting performances, radio broadcasts and more during the evening.

According to a press release, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee credited Young with donating $50,000 for facility renovations, as sharing his name with the new space. "The Chris Young Café will encourage our students to dream bigger," McPhee went on to say. "Chris studied at MTSU and then launched a successful music industry career, so every time they see his name on the café, their aspirations will seem a little more obtainable if they follow in his footsteps and work as hard as he has."

Chris Young Café
J Intintoli, Courtesy of Monarch Publicity
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A Murfreesboro native, Young began performing in Nashville clubs while still in high school, and later juggled that busy schedule of gigs with his coursework at MTSU. The "Raised on Country" star has kept close ties to the school in the years since. In 2012, he donated a portion of his touring equipment to the campus; four years later, he also founded an annual scholarship for students pursuing the recording arts.

"MTSU will always have a special place in my heart," Young adds in a statement. "It helped me launch my music career, and I'm glad for the opportunity to give back to the community."

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