During Luke Bryan’s Country On tour, he takes his three supporting acts out onstage with him for a medley of pop favourites including Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” and Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower.”
Bryan laughs as he cedes the spotlight to up-and-comers Alana Springsteen, Chayce Beckham, and Conner Smith in front of a crowd of 20,000 in Mountain View, California on a breezy July night, joining in only when he knows the words — or when he decides to pick Beckham up in a bear hug midway through.
Though his busy schedule (tours, American Idol, and a Las Vegas residency) keeps him busy, it’s clear that Bryan has never lost his passion for performing — and the ways in which he’s guiding the next generation of country stars to stardom show he’s never lost his appreciation for his hard-earned success.
“For the most of my career, I went up there to prove myself. “It’s really liberating and gratifying to just go, I am what I am,” Bryan says in this week’s cover story for PEOPLE. “I worked my butt off to earn it the old-fashioned way.” Many individuals have supported and assisted me along the journey, and I hope they can enjoy the experience as well.”
On his Country On tour, the “Play It Again” singer is presently performing in front of tens of thousands of fans each night. He’ll perform six Farm Tour concerts in September, as well as a dozen Las Vegas residency events at Resorts World Las Vegas (Bryan revealed Wednesday that he’ll play more Vegas gigs on December 29, 30, and 31, and January 3, 5, and 6).
Bryan’s hectic schedule is seldom an impediment, with an infectious enthusiasm and a propensity of making his fans feel like friends with onstage selfies, fist bumps, and poured shots.
“I had a blast when I had 100 people in the room, and tonight will be the same,” he adds. “It’s time to move on the day you stop loving it.” Fortunately, I’ve never had such emotions. It’s difficult to grow tired of performing in front of 20,000 people.”
And those who know him well realise that the emotion is genuine.
“He’s just so genuine,” Springsteen, 22, adds. “You get exactly what you see. People say you shouldn’t meet your idols, but Luke is an exception.” “He’s always been a guy to act on his desire to help and uplift up-and-coming artists,” Smith, 22, adds. It’s been an honour to be on the receiving end of such expertise.”
Beckham, 27, met Bryan for the first time when he won American Idol in 2021, and says travelling with him is “one of the best things I get to do all year.” “I’m so grateful for the opportunity… to observe and learn from the best in the industry.”
Given Bryan’s road to the top, it’s no surprise he’s so committed to spreading the word about his achievement. The artist, who started singing as a child in his birthplace of Leesburg, Georgia, was planning to travel to Nashville in his early twenties to pursue a career in music until his elder brother Chris perished in a vehicle accident at the age of 26.
Bryan remained with his family instead of transferring and graduated from Georgia Southern University, where he met his future wife Caroline, 43. Caroline worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative while Bryan worked hard to build a name for himself.
Bryan was 30 years old when he found success with his first hit “All My Friends Say” in 2007 — and considerably more able to deal with the trappings of fame.
“I think at 20, I would’ve processed it all very differently, with a lot less maturity,” he adds. “When I moved to Nashville at the age of 25, I was able to read people better.” I could make my way through the shady throng. It was quite beneficial to me in those areas.”
Bryan’s unexpected gap years also aided in the formation of his identity as a singer-songwriter.
“I wouldn’t have known who I was as an artist when I was younger.” “I was just singing other people’s songs and trying to figure out what I wanted to be back then,” he explains. “Now I understand that the most important thing is to do your best to tell your story in the most authentic and relatable way possible.” I can’t go back in time and criticise the stars or destiny for how everything turned out. I look back and am pleased of how far I’ve come.”
Bryan says he’s presently working on a follow-up to his 2020 album Born Here Live Here Die Here, and he’s also excited to return to Vegas for the additional tour dates.
Because the theatres in Sin City are smaller and more intimate, the singer can let free in ways he couldn’t often do at large stadium events.
“I believe a large portion of the audience has come to experience what a country concert is like. “And the beauty of Vegas is that if I want to spend 20 minutes on piano, there are 5,000 people in a theatre,” he explains. “I’ve really enjoyed being able to showcase my ability to tell jokes and go off-the-cuff a little bit.”
After Vegas, Bryan will go to Cancn for his annual Crash My Playa event, which will take place from Jan. 17 to 20. Bryan, like every other time he’s taken the stage in his decades-long career, enjoys the opportunity to interact with his fans at any moment.
“It’s not an act,” he adds of his performance. “I’m in the moment, having fun, and feeding off the energy of the fans.” I like making others happy. That’s how I became interested in music.”
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