Luke Bryan Learned the Value of Hard Work Early

Luke Bryan might be the wealthiest country artist right now, but he learned early on how to work hard. The Georgia native got his first job long before he could drive, instilling in him a work ethic that he still holds today.

"At age 12 thru 13, I worked at Rubos IGA Supermarket in Leesburg, Ga.," Bryan recalls. "I worked during the summers on Monday and Tuesday. I stocked and cleaned up the produce. They paid me under the table … I peeled off all of the brown lettuce."

"When I was 15, I was a cashier at K-Mart for two months," he continues. "I worked at K-Mart for two months, and then I reverted back to Rubos because it didn't really make sense for me to drive all the way into Albany and work for K-Mart. The benefits were great though – you'd get an hour-long on the blue light special. So I started back at Rubos, and then I quit Rubos and worked for my Dad – just awful just driving tractors through cotton all day, and spraying pesticides that eventually would turn your hair green."

It was during that time that Bryan developed his love of music, which ultimately paved his road out of Georgia.

"And then at some point, I started playing guitar," Bryan says. "After college I went back and worked for my dad and continued to spray and haul fertilizer around. And then I moved to Nashville."

Bryan originally planned on moving to Nashville right after college, but when his brother, Chris, passed away, he couldn't imagine leaving his parents. But eventually, seeing his passion for music, Bryan's own father told him it was time to leave the farm and follow his dreams – and the singer has never looked back.

Still, although Bryan was – and still is – willing to work harder than anyone else, he didn't realize how far he had come until he found out he had tied Brooks & Dunn for the most No. 1 singles.

"I'm like, 'Oh my God, what the hell have I done? How have I gotten there?'" Bryan concedes. "Cause I would never even have imagined to be around a number like that with Brooks & Dunn. And you just don't conduct your daily life thinking that way. I have always just woke up and tried to put on the best show I can. And sit down and be focused and write the best song."

Bryan is currently headlining his own What Makes You Country Tour. Find dates at LukeBryan.com.

Photo Credit: Getty images/ Rick Kern