Brantley Gilbert Mourns the Loss of His ‘Sanctuary on Wheels’ After Bus Fire

When Brantley Gilbert lost his tour bus, which burst into flames last week, he lost more than just his transportation. The bus, which was custom-made to make room for Gilbert’s infant son, Barrett, became Gilbert’s home away from home, carrying many of his most-prized possessions.

“The bus is done,” Gilbert says. “We had it built with [Barrett] in mind coming, and we had just finished all the baby aspects of the bus and got it just perfect. And everything that I own that fit me is burned, a couple guitars, documents, letters, notes, pictures, all the baby stuff that was on there. It’s not so much like, ‘Awww, your bus burned down.’ It’s more like, ‘Man, my house burned down.’”

Gilbert spent as much time on his bus as he did at his own house, which makes the loss so devastating.

“Anybody that knows me will tell you that I get real attached to my bus,” Gilbert notes. “I spend a lot of time on it, and if [my wife] Amber and Barrett aren’t home, I sleep in the bus. It’s just my place. It’s kind of like my little sanctuary so I feel like I kind of lost an old friend a little bit, but we’ll build another one.”

Although it’s not clear where Gilbert was going when his bus was destroyed, the 33-year-old is currently headlining his The Ones That Like Me Tour, which is Gilbert’s way of getting close to his loyal fans.

“I want[ed] to call it something that speaks to what this tour is: a chance for me to get together with all the people out there who get this music, who believe in these songs and live their lives just like the people back home do,” Gilbert explains. “We are all proud Americans, who try to stand up and do the right thing. That isn’t marketing, that’s life – and that’s what my music is made of.”

A list of all of Gilbert’s upcoming shows is available on his website.

Photo Credit: Instagram/BrantleyGilbert