Towards the end of his 25-song set at Buckeye Country Superfest, where he played for an audience of more than 63,000 people on July 24, Luke Combs took a moment during his encore to welcome a special guest to the stage: Addi Conely, a 17-year-old girl battling terminal cancer.
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Combs brought Conely on stage to sing her favorite song, “Better Together,” released on his 2019 album What You See Is What You Get.
“Tonight was literally the best night of our lives,” wrote Addi’s mother Staci in a Facebook post the day after the show about the special moment her daughter, who is undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), had with the country artist on stage.
“Our girl has a bucket list of all the things she wants to do and see,” wrote her mother. “One of her wishes was to meet and go to a Luke Combs concert, where he would sing her favorite song. This week with the help of some pretty amazing people this happened. Our friend Aerica and her beautiful daughters reached out to everyone they knew to see if they could get the attention of Luke Combs or someone on his team to make this so far away dream a reality for our girl.”
The evening was brought together by several people, in particular the family’s friend Aerica and her daughters, who reached out to everyone they knew to hopefully connect to Luke Combs or someone on his team to make Addi’s dream come true. Another fan, Kenzie Rien, whose father served with Addi’s dad in the army, helped with the efforts. When Rien, who used to run Brat Pack 11, which granted wishes to military kids of wounded and fallen soldiers, found out that Addi’s favorite artist was Combs, she made a 60-second video about the teen and posted it on Instagram to hopefully grab the attention of the artist’s team.
Once the connection was made, Combs flew Addi and her family from California to Ohio for the show and took care of everything, down to hotels and airport pickups. The country singer even arranged a beautiful suite full of snacks and beverages for them to enjoy while they watched the other performers before his show. Prior to his set, and his surprising Addi with the special serenade, Combs also invited the family backstage, where he had some time to chat with the teen.
Speaking to Addi, Combs shared a story about a friend who had cancer twice, once in the third grade and then again in 2021, and how he and his friends all shaved their heads to support him, according to her mother’s post. Addi also shared that her brothers, boyfriend, and friends did the same for her when she lost her hair. “He gave so much love as we listened and cried with their stories they were exchanging,” shared Staci. “This moment made time stand still. She was genuinely happy and so blown away by his kindness, honestly, we all were.
In an Instagram post following the show, Combs also shared a special message about his new friend Addi. “I want to introduce y’all to my new friend Addi,” wrote Combs. “She has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I heard about her story and knew I had to get her out to a show. I was honored to have her join me on stage in Columbus, OH this past Saturday and let her see what it feels like to play in front of the best fans in the world. This is a moment and video I’ll always cherish. Thank you for being such an inspiration to us all, Addi.”
Staci explained that the past 13 and a half months of watching her daughter battle cancer have been unbearable and that the family hasn’t given up on finding a cure. “We have become incessant in finding a cure for AML, for getting more funding for children, bringing awareness to the National blood shortage, having more options for clinical trials, and everything else that comes with a Pediatric cancer diagnosis like our daughters,” shared Conely. “This is truly a journey I wish on no one.”
She added, “Tonight the world was right and there was no talk of Addi’s cancer, no talk of dying, and no talk of not making it to her 18th birthday. Her smile says it all. Tonight was perfect. God was here with us. We felt him, in the laughter, the warm air, the smiles, and the soft hugs we were given all night long. Thank you, Luke Combs and team for giving our girl the most perfect night.”
Before singing “Better Together” to Addi, Combs had one special request for his fan, which he asked her while they were both on stage.
“I can only ask you one favor—one, that you sing along so we can hear you, and two I want every single person in here to get their phone light out so we can see,” said Combs during the special moment. “I want her to see that tonight. So, Addi, this one goes out to you, your favorite song, one of my favorite songs.”
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
