Country music star Luke Bryan wears many hats.
In addition to writing and recording chart-topping hits, the American Idol judge is also a loving husband, father, and guardian to the children of his sister, who died tragically in 2007.
Kelly’s death came less than 10 years after the death of his other sibling, Chris, who was killed in a car crash.
But loss and tragedy only powered his passion into becoming one of the best-selling music artists…
Family comes first for 47-year-old Luke Bryan, who was named Entertainer of the Year five times by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
The “Do I” singer grew up on his parent’s peanut farm with his older brother, Chris, and sister, Kelly, in rural Georgia.
In 2000, when Bryan was 19, he was about to head off to Nashville to live out his dreams as a musician. But days before he planned on leaving, his brother Chris was killed in a car crash.
“My older brother, Chris, was unexpectedly killed in a … car accident,” Bryan told ABC News “I’m kind of hyperventilating talking about it. … You never truly … move beyond it.”
Putting his dreams on hold, Bryan stayed with his family and went to college, helping his father out on the farm during the day and playing in bars at night.
Supporting his goals, his father fired him from harvesting peanuts and encouraged his son to head out and realize his dreams.
In 2007, a few days after his first major show at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, his big sister Kelly, who at the time was at home with her young son, died suddenly from unknown causes.
“My only older siblings … gone from the world, in a flash in two, two different, crazy, tragic manners, that … we’ll never know, and never understand.”
Her husband, Ben Cheshire, raised their three kids, son Til and daughters Kris and Jordan.
And then, in 2014, another death shook up his life.
Cheshire died, orphaning daughters Jordan, now 28 and Kris, now 24, and son Til, who turns 22 on November 6.
Bryan, along with his college sweetheart, wife Caroline, welcomed the kids in their Nashville home, along with their two boys, Thomas Boyer (15) and Tatum Christopher (13).
“We never thought twice about it,” said Caroline, who married the country star in 2006. “You know, it was never something that he and I had to sit down and talk about. ‘Should we take this on?’ We just did that.”
Speaking with People, the “Play it Again” singer added, “We woke up and had a teenager in our midst, but we love it.” Bryan also shared that it was a “challenge” in finding the balance between parent and friend, however the experience was “nothing but positive.”
And since, Kelly’s kids have become like their own children.
The country crooner said now that Til, whom he calls his “buddy,” is in college, he inspires some of his music.
“He comes home and there’s mainstream country, there’s Texas country, and there’s some underground country stuff that my nephew [listens to] because he’s at college.” Bryan continued, “To think that every college kid in the South is listening to mainstream country, that’s just not true. They’re finding underground music…But they haven’t broke nationally yet, and he puts it on my radar.”
Til is also influencing Tatum and Thomas, who are learning a few tricks from their cousin turned big brother.
“They learn all the dances from him,” the “I See You” singer told People. “What is it? The Dab and all that. And the Nae Nae. He teaches them all that. They’re out there in the yard doing that when they score a touchdown.”
When the kids aren’t learning the next viral dance craze, and when Bryan isn’t sitting on the panel of judges for the TV series American Idol, he spends time fishing with the three boys.
Til, Thomas, and Tate also star in Bryan’s 2017 music video, “What Makes You Country.”
Despite the happiness and love experienced in the blended family, the “Drink a Beer” singer admits that sometimes he and his family “get mad at why this has happened.”
“We feel like if we just stay positive through this, maybe we’ll be a positive inspiration for people that had these things happen to ’em.” Bryan continued, “You just have to plow on and play the hand that’s dealt.”
It’s terribly sad that Luke Bryan lost both of his siblings. And through all of it, he’s still inspiring the world with his message of love and resilience!
Please share this story and let others know more about the life of this incredible artist!
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