Luke Bryan has had a prominent career as a country singer and a television personality. However, the singer and American Idol judge makes mistakes just like everyone else. In fact, the star recently revealed that one mistake nearly cost him his illustrious career.
Luke Bryan Admitted He Nearly Lost His Career During A Podcast Appearance
Bryan started his career in the early 2000s, going on to become one of the world’s best-selling musicians. Over the years, he has received various accolades for his work. Over the years, different award shows, the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards, have given him the title of “Entertainer of the Year” at least five times.
In addition, Bryan is also a prominent figure in reality television, helping other singers pursue a career in music as a judge on American Idol. Joining the show in 2018, he has sat alongside other celebrity judges, including Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood.
However, Bryan once admitted that a few comments he’s made in the past nearly cost him his career. The singer revealed this during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast back in late 2024.
During the appearance, Bryan brought up a 2015 interview with Hits Daily Double where he was asked about the “bro-country” movement. The trend was associated with his song, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).”
At the time, Bryan admitted he wasn’t a fan of various outlaw country artists, like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. He shared, “I think that people who want Merle, Willie and Waylon just need to buy Merle, Willie and Waylon. I’ve never been a ‘Those were the good old days’ kind of guy. I’m not big on looking back on the past.”
Instead, Bryan emphasized that he wasn’t following these performers, saying his music was about being true to himself. Bryan explained, “I’m not an outlaw country singer. I don’t do cocaine and run around. So I’m not going to sing outlaw country.” He continued, “I like to hunt, fish, ride around on my farm, build a big bonfire and drink some beers. And that’s what I sing about. It’s what I know. I don’t know about lying in the gutter, strung out on drugs. I don’t really want to do that.”
Bryan Apologized For His Comments & Even Received At Least One Interesting Response
These comments, however, caused some backlash at the time. Fans and even family members of these artists felt that Bryan was implying they were spending much of their time getting high.
While speaking with Rogan, Bryan felt his words were taken out of context. As he shared, “Where I f–ked up is, [I meant to say], like Johnny Cash’s song ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down.’ That’s what I meant. I just didn’t tie it.” He then claimed his choice of words led to a narrative that “‘Luke Bryan says outlaw country people are basically drug addicts who sleep in the street.’”
Following the backlash, Bryan shared that he apologized to Waylon Jennings’ daughter and widow. He also apologized to Nelson, who reportedly replied, “It’s okay to step on your d***, just don’t stand on it.”
That said, Bryan felt that these comments have still cost him a number of fans. He shared, “Man, the way they manipulated that story, I lost that whole crowd right then. Broke my heart …I had motorcycle gangs wanting to burn my house down.”
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
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