Luke Bryan suffered unimaginable losses of his beloved siblings before rocketing to fame.
Fans want to know more about what happened to the country superstar’s brother and sister, as well as his brother-in-law.
What Happened to Luke Bryan’s Brother Chris Bryan?
On the eve of Luke moving from his family’s home in Leesburg, Georgia, to Nashville in 1996 to pursue a country music career, his older brother Chris was killed in a car accident. He was 26 years old. The “Buy Dirt” singer was 20 years old at the time, and it ended up changing the course of Luke’s life.
How Did Luke Bryan’s Brother’s Death Change His Destiny?
“When Chris passed away, it was devastating because no one was more fired up about me going to Nashville than him,” Luke told Today in 2021 about the tragedy.
The loss caused Luke to put off going to Nashville in order to remain with his family as they coped with the loss.
“We knew Luke at some point would come to Nashville. But … you can’t leave your family, and … I couldn’t bear the thought of him being away,” his mom told ABC’s 20/20 in 2013.
The Voice judge helped out on his family’s farm while taking classes at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. He graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
While in college, Luke began dating his future wife, Caroline. Despite a breakup, they later reconnected and married in 2006.
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After graduating, Luke remained in Statesboro, performing in local bars until his father urged him to make the move to Nashville.
“I said, ‘You know, if you’re going to pursue your music career, you need to pack your truck up and move to Nashville,’” his father, Tommy Bryan, told 20/20.
Luke’s delayed move to Music City ended up being a blessing in disguise.
“I think at 20 I would’ve processed it all a lot differently, with a lot less maturity,” he told People in August 2023. “When I moved to Nashville when I was 25, I could read people better. I could navigate the shady crowd. It helped me a lot in those aspects.”
What Happened to Luke Bryan’s Sister Kelly?
Luke’s debut album, I’ll Stay Me, dropped in 2007, launching him to country music stardom with hits including “All My Friends Say” and “Country Man.” Sadly, he lost his sister, Kelly, that same year.
Kelly died at the age of 39 from unknown causes. Her husband, Ben Lee Cheshire, died seven years later in 2014 from a heart attack. They left behind three children.
Luke Bryan Adopted His Late Sister Kelly’s Kids
With both of their parents dead, Luke and Caroline adopted Kelly and Ben’s three children: then-20-year-old Jordan, 16-year old Kris, and 13-year-old Til. They joined Luke and Caroline’s sons, Tate and Bo, who at the time were 6 and 4 years old.
“Obviously my nieces and nephew, they didn’t ask for this,” Luke told People in 2015. “Their life was amazing before Caroline and I took a more prominent role, even after losing their mother. Now my focus is trying to do what we can to help them.”
What Has Luke Bryan Said About Losing His Brother, Sister and Brother-in-Law?
“When you start talking about the loss of siblings and even the loss of my brother-in-law — I mean, he was my brother, he had been in my life since I was 7, 8 years old — and the hesitancy is, gosh, you almost feel anxiety of telling aspects of your life that are so tragic,” Luke revealed on Sunday Today in August 2021.
“You worry about people at home just really wondering why this much tragedy and unfortunate things have happened in my life,” he added.
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Fans got to know more about Luke’s family tragedies and how they affected him on his 2021 IMDb TV series, Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary.
“I have to remember there are people out there that have gone through similar stuff that I have,” he told host Willie Geist. “And so me telling my story of how we get through this as a family, you pray and you feel like you’re going to help some people.”
“At the end of the day, that’s really what we’re trying to do,” Luke added. “We’re tryin’ to just tell the story of my dirt road diary.”
