“So many people—thank God—are naïve to how challenging life can be because they go through life without suffering loss like this," Bryan tells Parade.com in this exclusive interview. “But when I started dealing with it, I had to really just stay positive through it all and keep my chin up and keep living for my dreams. I know they would have wanted that for me, also.” Bryan is the subject of a new IMDb TV five-part docuseries, My Dirt Road Diary, which will tell the story of the ups, downs, triumphs and tragedies of the American Idoljudge’s country music career and examine his personal life through original home videos, interviews and incredibly personal footage. One thing we learn is the tragedies reinforced in Bryan the importance of spending quality time with the family he has left, which includes his parents, his wife Caroline Boyer; his two sonsThomas and Tatum; plus, his sister’s three children, the youngest, Til Cheshire, who came to live with him and Caroline after the death of his father. “I’m still working a lot,” says Bryan, who prior to COVID-19 was out on the road a minimum of 200 days a year. “But the kids are older, they’re easier to bring out. We can fly them to shows. Logistics get a little easier as you have more success, thank God. As long as I’m healthy and happy and can do everything I love, a lot of family time is not really getting sacrificed.” For now, Bryan is working as hard—if not harder when you consider he added American Idol to his schedule—as he’s ever worked, but it may not be forever. In the not-too-distant future, he’s looking at taking some extra time at home. “As the boys get older and in high school, I’m going to pull back the reins on some aspects of my career and just try to be there more and more. It’s one thing when they’re 4 years old at a T-ball game, but it’s another thing when they’re in their senior year of high school and they’re pitching or playing football. I’m really focused on not missing that.” In the docuseries, it is also revealed that Bryan’s record label signed him a little bit before they thought he was ready because they didn’t want someone else to snatch him up. They kept him under contract for a while before they released his first single. Which brings up the question of whether he uses that experience when judging American Idol. How ready are those kids really? “I don’t know if that’s a fair thing to even say that they’re ready,” he admits. “I think they’re ready for that moment and they’re going to be faced with challenges to get to the next level. I think it’s always up to them on how much they want to earn and work and do all this. When you look at a kid like Chayce Beckham, I found out later that he’s really even more talented than showcased on American Idol. I’ve gotten to know him and meet him, and he’s really prepared for levels.” Bryan says to have a successful music career, you really have to love it. That’s what it takes to get you through the gauntlet, and he is a perfect example, having reached one pinnacle of success. He has been named Entertainer of the Year three times and by both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association. So, what’s next? “My goal is to really enjoy where I’m at,” Bryan says. “I’m sitting on a tour bus in Cincinnati about to go on in front of 20,000 people in a few hours. What can be better than that? What truly is better than getting to do your music in front of live fans? I never sat down and said, ‘I’m going to win this many Entertainers of the Year.’ I just sat down and said, ‘You know what? I’m going to write the best songs I can, be me, and give it all I got on stage.’ I’m going to continue to do that, and we’ll see what happens around all of that.” Next, Luke Bryan on How Humility, Appreciation and Relatability Makes for Great American Idols
