Luke Bryan is on the other side of COVID-19 after revealing earlier this month that he had been diagnosed with the virus, and the country star opened up about his symptoms in the virtual press room after the ACM Awards on Sunday night. “I was very fortunate to not have a long set of symptoms and stuff that,” he told PopCulture.com and other outlets, adding that “It was still quite challenging for a couple of days.”
“Thank God for just… certainly health,” Bryan continued, sharing that “there were times” when his wife, Caroline, “was nursing me back to health.” The Georgia native was originally scheduled to perform during the ACM Awards but was unable to after announcing his COVID-19 diagnosis on April 11. He was ultimately cleared to participate in Sunday night’s episode of American Idol and spoke to reporters from Los Angeles.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“I was certainly amazed to move through that,” he said of his own illness before reflecting on getting through the entire pandemic. “And now looking back on the past, going into a year and a half, the main thing that gets you through, that’s got us through, is certainly your friends and your family and praying everybody can see the other side of this pandemic and leaning on the people in your organization.”
The 44-year-old noted that he has been on the road “for 16 years and a lot of these guys and girls that are on the road with me have been there since day one.” “So to make sure that they’re all good, to make sure that they’re all happy and making it through this,” he said. “It’s been an amazingly challenging year for the entertainment business, the music business, and all of the satellite companies that support the music and certainly the fans. So I think at the core of it all, the fact that I’ve been home a little more and I can spend quality time with my family has certainly gotten me through all of the challenges of this year.”
Though he has appreciated the time at home with his family, Bryan has learned that being on stage in front of his fans is “a big part of my happiness as a human being.” “So I’m not going to sit here and say I haven’t had ups and downs and bouts of depression stuff, as so many people out there,” he reflected, sharing that winning Entertainer of the Year on Sunday was a bright spot for him. “You look back on a night and winning Entertainer of the Year is certainly one of those things where you’re like, ‘Thank you, God. Thank you, fans,’” he said. “Very excited here in LA tonight.
