Country music star Luke Bryan lost his brother-in-law, Ben Lee Cheshire, to a heart attack, which is just a few years after Bryan’s own sister, the wife of Cheshire, died. I can’t imagine how difficult this kind of loss must be for someone. Two of the people he was probably the closest to are now gone from his life. Death is such a cruel part of life. Of course, it was never meant to be a part of the human experience, but the sin of Adam and Eve ushered in death as judgment, thus, here we are.
Bryan is a super popular musical act. He’s been named CMA Entertainer of the Year twice and has been building a fan base with tunes that are typically upbeat with positive lyrics. Not to mention his very salt-of-the-earth personality, which has endeared him to music fans all over the country and even the world.
However, the road to success in the industry has not been one smoothly paved. Bryan stated that his faith in God is what got him through all of the ups and downs along the path.
Check out more from Faithit.Com:
"*" indicates required fields
The youngest of three children, Luke gravitated to music at a young age and started playing the guitar at just 14 years old. A youth leader at his church, Luke began rewriting country songs with Christian lyrics, and it wasn’t long before it led to him writing his own songs.
“My first song was ‘The Day He Turned Me Around,’ and it was a Christian song,” he remembered fondly in an interview with PEOPLE. “It was just a simple Christian song, but I physically wrote it and performed it in front of my congregation when I was 15, maybe 16.”
“You don’t realize at the time what you’re laying the groundwork for, but it’s neat to see that piece of paper [now],” he continued. “I remember putting it up there on the pulpit and being real nervous.”
In a special on ABC News, Luke Bryan takes an opportunity to inform Robin that he was only 19 and preparing for a huge move to Nashville when his older brother Chris was killed in an accident. This poor man has really experienced a whole lot of loss, a lot more than most will probably experience over the course of a lifetime.
The tragedy led to Bryan putting his career on hold for a while. In fact, during this period of time, he wasn’t even sure he’d make it to Nashville, but his loved ones had different plans for him.
“My dad could tell that I was one foot in the door and one foot out the door, and he said, ‘This life will always be here,’” Bryan recounts in the special. “He was really really adamant about me chasing my dreams.”
“Getting to Nashville was pretty liberating. I was on music row every day writing songs. People at Capitol kept hearing them, and next thing you know I’m getting a record deal from Capitol Records,” he said.
Bryan then spent years putting together his career before finally getting to release his debut album, which included the hit single, “All My Friends Say” back in 2007.
“It was April 6, 2007, and I get to play the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. That night, little did I know, would be my sister and I—it would be our last photo together. She passed away a month later,” the country music superstar revealed.
Kelly, Bryan’s older sister, was home with her son, Til, when she suddenly passed away at the age of 39.
“The losses gave me such a deep perspective of life; how tough it can get at any second,” he said in the interview with PEOPLE. “You question it every day, but you have to revert back to your faith in God’s plan.”
Several years later, in 2014, the Bryan family suffered another major loss when Ben Lee Cheshire, Kelly’s husband, died from a heart attack. The couple had three kids: Til, Jordan, and Kris.
Luke and his wife Caroline didn’t think twice about raising their 13-year-old nephew. 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.
Speaking to the millions out there who have experienced loss, Luke tells Robin that the best way to honor the memory of loved ones is to LIVE and “be a positive light” in the world.
He’s doing a fine job so far, don’t you think?