Grounded in faith, Luke and his family found comfort in the light that is found only in Jesus.
“The losses gave me such a deep perspective of life; how tough it can get at any second,” he said. “You question it every day, but you have to revert back to your faith in God’s plan.”
The lingering pain that Luke carries with him to this day is the driving force behind songs like “Drink a Beer,” which is a tribute to the passing of both of his siblings.
His music career is nothing short of personal. After enduring tragic and sudden losses, and finding faith in God’s plan, Luke was overwhelmed to be named Entertainer of the Year for the first time in 2013. He performed the tribute song to his siblings just minutes before being honored with the prestigious award and completely broke down in tears on stage.
“As a family, we cried for an hour backstage. There’s been three times in our life where we were that emotional—my brother’s death, my sister’s death and that night. With what we’ve dealt with, it was so fun to have the joy,” he says of the occasion.
Bryan has found continued peace through his devout Christian faith. He often wishes his sons could’ve met his brother and sister, but reminds himself to trust in God’s plan—not his own.
“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. I don’t like that my sons are missing that side of my family. But someone else is deciding things.”
That couldn’t have been more true in 2014 when the family endured yet another sudden loss. Luke’s brother-in-law, Kelly’s widowed husband, Ben Lee Cheshire, died of a heart attack. The couple had three children.
Once again, Luke stuck to his strong family and faith values. He dropped everything and canceled performances to be with his family in Georgia.
He knows and speaks openly about how his family would have never survived such trauma if they didn’t have such a rooted faith in Jesus Christ.
“Your faith has to get you through all that. That’s not saying you don’t question it. But you just have to revert back to your faith in God’s plan, that you’ll be together again and that’s what you have to go on,” he explains.
In the wake of his brother-in-law’s death, Luke and his wife, Caroline, who have two young sons, decided to raise their 13-year-old nephew, Til. The couple asked Til to join their family in Nashville, and his two older sisters visit often. All three Cheshire kids view Luke and Caroline as strong parental figures.
“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. You just have to plow on and play the hand that’s dealt,” Luke explained.
Nothing in this life is perfect, and while Luke Bryan appears to have it all, there’s much more that makes a person than what the world catches glimpses of. He’s faced heartbreak that most couldn’t imagine, but Luke’s faith in Jesus has allowed him to find joy despite tragedy.
“If me telling my story moves people down a positive path of hope and getting up out of the bed and getting back going, then it’s certainly worth telling,” he says.
Perhaps that’s why he partnered with IMBD to create a TV docu-series titled, Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary, (released August 6, 2021), in which the string of family tragedies he’s endured over 25 years was delved into in more detail. It’s five episodes and only available on IMBD TV. The docu-series includes interviews and old footage among other intriguing content. And it’s worth watching because Luke Bryan’s story is a true testament to the strength and peace that can be found only in Jesus Christ.
