Scoring his first No. 1 hit with 2010’s “Rain Is a Good Thing,” Luke Bryan is one of country music’s greatest entertainers and even has the five trophies to prove it. Fans can typically expect an above-and-beyond experience when seeing the “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” crooner live. However, Bryan refunded ticketholders after struggling through a June 2025 concert in Rogers, Arkansas. That unexpected snag led to a string of canceled shows as the American Idol judge, 49, battled “the weirdest thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life.” In a recent interview, Bryan admitted that he struggled with exactly how transparent he should be about his illness.
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Luke Bryan Opens Up on Diagnosis
Returning to the stage on July 17 in Greenville, South Carolina, Luke Bryan revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was responsible for interrupting his Country Song Came On tour.
“You can boo that s— all you want, but I got it,” Bryan told the audience.
Receiving the diagnosis, Bryan faced a conundrum. Did he tell everyone and deal with the possible ramifications for his tour, including for his crew? Or did he stay silent and let fans wonder, “What is wrong with him?”
“Obviously I got it, and you go through, ‘Do you let anybody know that you have it?’” the “One Margarita” singer said during an appearance this week on Taste of Country Nights.
However, Bryan’s illness grew more visible the more he tried to power through it. “Fans could see me really coughing hard onstage, and man, I was on every medicine trying to make myself better,” he said.
[RELATED: Luke Bryan Struck in the Face Mid-Performance During North Dakota Show]
On the Road to Recovery
Fortunately, Luke Bryan has returned to the road. However, he is still combatting the after-effects of his illness a month later.
“You know, that’s the really frustrating part,” he told Taste of Country Nights. “I want to be onstage at a hundred percent every night of my life, but that’s not really reality.”
After powering through the Arkansas show, Bryan decided to reschedule his Lafayette, Louisiana and Dallas, Texas, tour stops to Sept. 11 and 12, respectively. One week later, he canceled his appearances at Country Stampede in Kansas, NebraskaLand Days in Nebraska, and Country Jam in Colorado due to “continued illness.”
Returning to the stage July 17 in South Carolina, Bryan admitted he hadn’t yet completely recovered. ’m not 100%, because it’s still kicking my a—. And you know what? I don’t give a s—,” he said. “So when I can sing, I’m gonna sing. And when I can’t, y’all are gonna sing, alright?”
Featured image by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation
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