Luke Reflects On 1st CMA Win

It was his greatest CMA victory, and at the same time, it was his first CMA victory!  It’s been three months since Luke Bryan was named CMA Entertainer of the Year.  Lots of time to think and reflect on the big night.  He shares some great memories with Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton this week.  For example, how many texts did he get that night? “So many friends and family, by the end of the show I had about 180 unchecked text messages.” How long does it last? “It’s a two week deal.  Two or three weeks of pure euphoria.  Still amazed by it.”  How about the artists? “When I won, I was sitting next to Tim McGraw, so I was hugging Tim, and Dierks came around and picked me up, and then I hugged my wife.  I was like, Dierks, get outta here! I gotta hug my wife!”

After that, Luke walked on stage to accept his accept his award from none other than Garth Brooks!  “Amazing, to win your first CMA and then get to meet Garth for the first time.  It was pretty special, and still can’t believe it went down that way.”  We had Garth & Trisha in as our co-hosts in December, and they talked about the moment, which we played for Luke.  Garth said, “In this business, the first thing you learn about someone is if they’re a good person, and I’ve never heard a bad word about that guy.  I talked with his dad and told him the most important thing is his boy is known as a very nice young man.”  Luke’s response: “Lon you don’t need to do this to me on the radio.  What an amazing thing to get to hear from him.” Did you ever see Garth’s show? “I was a little young.  When he came to Tallahassee, my brother went to see him.  I remember when he got back at 2AM, I was up, and wanted to know what it was like. He told me his best interpretation, and it was like I was there.  I don’t think I’ve ever told that story.”

Luke mentioned he sat next to McGraw at the CMA Awards, and apparently they talked about building houses.  Luke said, “Between commercials, we talked about fishing and houses.  I know Tim & Faith have built some houses, so I asked if I want all the gadgets.  To get advice from Tim is a surreal experience.  He basically said to have your lights where you can flip a switch.  Don’t get all the bells and whistles.”

Tags: luke bryan

Category: Audio