Amid one of the biggest years of his career, Luke Bryan is grieving another family loss with the death of his brother-in-law.
The country star, who was named CMA Entertainer of the Year last month, was due to perform and be honored on Tuesday night’s (Dec. 2) live CMT Artists of the Year show, but his publicist tells PEOPLE that he will remain with family in Georgia instead.
PEOPLE reports that the most touching moment of the night came courtesy of Lady Antebellum and songwriter Chris Stapleton, who moved members of the audience to tears with their poignant, acoustic performance of Bryan’s song “Drink a Beer,” which honors his late brother and sister.
“Family comes first, and Luke’s family faced a tragic loss this weekend with the death of his brother-in-law Lee. So tonight, we are performing a song that’s very special to Luke, with the writer and one of the best singers in Nashville, Chris Stapleton,” said Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “Luke, we’re thinking of you and love you,” added Hillary Scott.
The tragic death of his brother-in-law Ben Lee Cheshire this weekend kept Bryan from attending; he opted instead to stay with his family in Georgia. But his country music family had the CMA Entertainer of the Year in their hearts and prayers.
WATCH THE PERFORMANCE HERE
