FAMILY TIES

American Idol judge Luke Bryan tells In Touch about the joys of being a family of seven after he and wife Caroline took in his late sister’s children

Luke Bryan has experienced more than his fair share of tragedy. When he was 19, his older brother was killed in a car crash, and in 2007 his sister, Kelly, died of unexplained causes. When her widowed husband passed away in 2014, Luke, 43, and wife Caroline, 40 — who share sons Bo, 11, and Tate, 9 — took in Kelly’s three children, Jordan, 24, Kris, 20, and Til, 17. “We never thought twice about it,” Caroline has said of suddenly becoming parents to teenagers. Now that the blended family of seven has settled into a groove — Luke gives Caroline the credit for keeping them afloat amid all the turmoil — the country singer says he and his college sweetheart have a little more space to enjoy each other’s company. “Keeping a relationship fun is critical,” says the Georgia native, who returned for Season 3 of American Idol alongside fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie on Feb. 16. “Life gets busy and you get into a funk, but we’ve gotten better at communicating.” Here, Luke opens up to In Touch’s Amanda Champagne Meadows about his wife’s sacrifices, mentoring young contestants — and keeping his chin up.

Is your wife your biggest source of support?

LB: Being a wife or a spouse of somebody in entertainment is a big sacrifice. The logistics of talking to five children a day, dealing with the responsibilities of our kids — it’s amazing to behold. When we first got married she was the breadwinner, and now we’re in a whole other phase.

The tables have turned!

LB: I keep promising her that at some point it’s going to be her decade where I don’t hijack her life.

Many of the kids auditioning for Idol have faced adversity. Do you draw on your own experiences to mentor them?

LB: I see myself in some of these kids. You just have to try to help them through their struggles. The show is an outlet. It’s fun and positive and exciting and a way to help their family heal.

What advice do you give them?

LB: You just have to wake up every day and go, “I’ve had unfortunate things in my life, but I just have to trust in God’s plan.”

Was work your outlet?

LB: My career has been a bright spot and a blessing. I’ve had so many wonderful moments with my family because of my success.

Despite everything you’ve been through, you seem to have a really positive attitude.

LB: Sometimes life gets me down. I’ll be on the road with a sinus infection or a pipe bursts in the house. And it never fails: I’ll do a meet and greet with a kid from Make-a-Wish and think, “You idiot! What are you complaining about?!” and I just try to keep it real and appreciate every day. ◼