Although fame and money is known to change people for the worse, there are some who manage to stay grounded. They keep things in perspective and retain a level of grace while rising through the ranks, and stay that way throughout their professional lives.
Onstage or offstage, they treat people the way they’d want to be treated. Once such famous person is Luke Bryan, an American country singer with roots in Georgia. He now lives in Nashville, big city of country dreams, and has built a strong career in the industry over the past ten years.
On one tour stop at Atlanta’s Philips Arena, Luke gave a special VIP experience to a select group of people. Now, he’s had his share of wild fan interactions, but this one was something different. In this video, you see him talking to the audience before his performance begins.
As they’re cheering and getting warmed up, there’s a friendly exchange between Luke and some of the folks in the crowd. It’s normal for people to scream out “I love you!” at shows like these – you’ve probably done it at least once in your life – but one particular declaration caught Luke’s attention.
He points a lady out and asks her age; we can’t see her yet but the sound of her voice suggests she may be elderly. She yells back, “It’s Bernice, your old neighbor!” The look on his face reads pleasantly surprised and Luke responds, “Bernice Williams?”
He immediately puts down his guitar, jumps off stage, and darts over to her. Luke, with a huge smile on his face, hugs the woman and asks her how she’s been doing. Too sweet! Watch the clip to hear what he has to say about this diehard fan and how he knows her.
Luke was raised in the small town of Leesburg, Georgia, which is about three hours away from Atlanta. With a population of about 3,000, it’s safe to say that folks there know and remember one another. More than that, they’re super proud of their homegrown country star. So proud that they’d make a lengthy drive to see him!
Even with all the fame, Luke has remained humble and down-to-earth. He’s known for being approachable and treating his fans sweetly. Just this past July, a pre-show meetup with an 88-year-old terminally ill fan was arranged with the crooner.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Luke broke one of his famous rules: no butt-grabbing. He hugged the excited woman and posed for an amusing photo of her touching his rear. According to her family, he chatted with her and made her feel like family too.
Sometimes, it’s we who forget that celebrities are just normal people who do many of the same things as the rest of us. And kindness is not lost on everyone! People love Luke Bryan not only for his musical talents, but because of his personality too. He certainly gave his old neighbor a reason to smile during this special moment.
What do you think of Luke and Ms. Bernice’s warm interaction? Are you a fan of his? Have you ever had an experience with a celeb similar to this?